Illuminating the Truth
by Kaffeindz
Summary: After the fall of Vishkar corporations, Satya decides to join Overwatch, but all that glitters is not gold. Every day is a struggle to fit in and accept the company of the others, especially with the presence of the world-renowned rebel DJ. LxS, some HxL and minor pairings. Rated T for some language.
1. Chapter I: Welcome Party

**Disclaimer:** All rights go to Jeff Kaplan and the Overwatch creation team. A lot of thanks to the staff there, specifically the dorky and lovable voice actors :)

 **Chapter I: Welcome Party**

"We officially welcome you to Overwatch, Miss Vaswani," cheered an excited Brit, popping a confetti popper as she said it. Symmetra winced at the noise and colorful strips of paper that haphazardly floated through the air, but she nodded her head in appreciation at the meaning behind the gesture. All about the room, celebration unfolded in the presence of the party-goers that gathered. Their merriment was overwhelming, to put it politely. Voices raised above one another in idle chatter and sparkling soda bottles were being popped open with fizz threatening to spill over. It occurred to her that they were likely celebrating a few days of break from missions rather than her entrance into Overwatch, but she didn't let that bother her. That being said, she still couldn't find comfort in festivities, even one so small as this.

It took everything in her power not to leave the room right then, but she had to at least make herself look approachable if she were work with these people. Commander's orders. She accepted the proffered cup of punch, though the choice of beverage was not to her preference, and politely refused an invitation to mingle with a rather rowdy group. There were still some things she would not do. Lumping together with those who made bids on who could eat the most chips or those who brought actual explosives as party "noisers" was one of those things. It was enough that they had given her their welcome.

Oh, she felt welcome alright. Not that there was anything wrong with the group as a whole, but there were some questionable characters that had either annoyed her or made her feel completely uncomfortable or incredibly nauseous just looking at them. Her eyes averted from the two barbarians covered in filth, one of whom was the exact physical depiction of a pig that she had to remind herself that he was actually a person. His wiry-framed companion conversed loudly, without a care of others hearing, singed hair emitting the foulest odor she had ever had to encounter. How the two former criminals come to work along with Overwatch, she hated to find out. According to Commander Morrison, they were only present as standby mercenaries. The two were revolting to say the least, but that was the least of her concern with her new company. Topped off with a bristle-bearded drunk of a cowboy and an overly flirty, **married** Swedish man, she had to will herself to ignore their antics while in the company of the rest of Overwatch.

Then, there was **him,** the root of all of her problems as of late. The one to cause disturbance to her former company of Vishkar, a corporation that had almost all but crumbled under the weight of civilian uprisings and internal affairs. A corporation developed with the justifying ideal of bettering the world, all faded due to one street hoodlum's uprising. Technically, he hadn't done it alone. He had all the popularity and support to help him achieve dismantling the Vishkar, and he succeeded. The street performer wasn't currently present, much to her relief, but she was more than aware of his recent existence as an Overwatch soldier. How a thief managed to get on the good side of notorious heroes, recruited even, she still couldn't figure out. It wouldn't surprise her if he had connections with the members during his little rebellion.

Reluctant though she was to say it aloud, Symmetra admitted that the Vishkar earned every bit of dislike from the people as she and her closest coworkers discovered other employees' inexcusable activities. Regardless, she was still adamant about the purpose of her company, and every fiber of her being blamed him for its fall. Vishkar was disbanded as of now, but it will not be for forever, and she'll be damned if she were to allow it to diminish completely. She had plans to continue her work, even if she had to do so in another organization. Her opinions of the matter concerning Vishkar were similar to how Overwatch was recalled, the only drawback being that she had no contact with any of her former coworkers, even her closest confidant, Sanjay. Perhaps, that's why she had been cordially invited to join Overwatch's forces by a couple of its more respectable members.

Satya's memory of her company's disbanding had been locked away deep in her mind, far too troubling for her to tell about it. She had felt like an empty shell ever since, never having expected that she would want no other lifestyle than the one she had. Wandering around ever sense that day, she desperately sought a new purpose, but had found none. Until she was approached by the energized British brunette and quite the clever primate. They had expressed their knowledge on Vishkar's prowess and advancement, offering her a position in their ranks after they heard of its decline. Whether they had invited her out of pity or what, she dared not dwell on. However, it had taken her nearly two months to accept the recruitment, and even now she still wondered whether her choice was the right one.

Symmetra's gaze fell to the punch in her hand, the surface of the purple liquid hardly lowered due to the few sips she had taken. Her mind idled away from the commotion around her as she found focus in the smooth, perfect circle of the glass's rim. Decisions had hardly been her strong suit. The only other one she's known to make was her joining Vishkar in the first place. Its quiet, orderly ambience beckoned her to leave her chaotic mess of a home town, and she did not regret obliging. Most of her decisions afterward were null, her actions only fueled by those of higher rank who commanded her. She enjoyed the order and direction that the company had given her. Without it, she felt lost on what to do. So when the recruitment to Overwatch was offered to her, Satya had no choice but to reply that she'd think on it. Her mind had wandered endlessly about the possibilities, all of the advantages and disadvantages to accepting, her thoughts becoming the very chaos that she abhorred. It had even made her feel sick at times. The whole of Overwatch itself was far from being as organized as Vishkar, but it was still better than a purposeless existence, she supposed. And Overwatch held ideals similar in nature to her own.

They were a rag-tag group of fighters, protectors of the innocent civilians all over the globe, even after the termination of the Omnic Crisis. Up until now, each member worked individually to keep their homes safe, and now they work together once more for that protection to run more smoothly. Originally founded as a special military unit to counter aggressive omnics, Overwatch now worked in different types of fields. They have been called for escort missions, defense operations, infiltrations, and the occasional check-up of current holds. They were a team of soldiers nonetheless, and she was not. Her abilities proved fair in encounters, but she's never been one to initiate combat herself. She refused wholly on taking lives. Only in desperate measures did she find the need to take up her own arms. In truth, she found violence distasteful and barbaric, even in the instances of protecting one's self. Despite her frustrations with some people, she was a rather diplomatic negotiator, preferring to resolve conflict through speech and contract. This ideal earned her both respect and envy from her peers. And the wrath from the treacherous, former Vishkar employees. They had warped her words as they saw fit, giving rise to outrage amongst the populace, wrongly accused her and the higher ups of the corporation of fraud, manipulation, and tyranny. Hardly anybody trusted the Vishkar now.

Satya sighed heavily, taking another miniscule sip of her punch before discarding it discreetly in the sink. Being crowded by the noise was beginning to take its toll on her. She politely excused herself from their company to rest, creating a lie that she had an exhausting day in hopes they wouldn't be too disappointed in her premature retreat. It wasn't a complete lie. A few heads nodded, while most of the other members continued about their conversations. She would let them enjoy the party to their heart's content, to revel in the peaceful atmosphere between missions. Meanwhile, her relaxation came from isolating herself in her room.

She entered the key code for the room, hearing the faint hiss of tech-locks releasing. The doors closed softly behind her as she made her way to a table still covered in small boxes. Her eyes darted to the wall décor momentarily, scanning over the multicolored hues of video game posters, most relating to Starcraft. The other side of the room was packed with video game contents, pop figures, electronic music, chips and soda. Though organized in its own way, with the snacks stacked according to flavors and drinks in a cooler, that half contrasted to Symmetra's perfectly clean side of the room. Her belongings consisted of nothing more than neatly stacked books, disconnected turrets that were packed away, a yoga mat, and a few outfits that were already relocated to the closet. There was no allowance for food or drink products for her side of the room, that much she made sure of.

Satya sighed, returning her attention to the small boxes of books that needed to be shelved. Much to her displeasure, she could not claim the room as her own. As Overwatch was originally founded as a small band of fighters, its main base's housing structures were never made to accommodate an influx of members, only enough for the core members. Other, larger units were assigned to barracks. Had she still been in Vishkar, they could have just updated her housing easily using their hard-light technology. As a result, she had to grow accustomed to the fact that she would be sharing the room with gaming idol Dva. Just the mere presence of beverages and food being in the room had begun to bother her, but Satya bit her tongue. After all, it's only the first day. She's determined to at least try this roommate thing. There were much worse options that she could think of, like living on the streets or sharing a room with one of the barbarians from earlier. Symmetra shuddered at the thought. She couldn't even imagine going on missions with them. The two were the types to be disastrous at any given moment, mission or not. That being said, she could also think of better scenarios. If she had been given the choice, she'd prefer to share a room with a quieter and more reserved companion such as the Chinese climatologist or Dr. Ziegler. More than anything else, she wished to return to the comfort and safety of her former home in Vishkar.

She shook her head of that thought. There's no helping that now; it's in the past. Satya's tried everything, but there was nothing keeping her from reminiscing parts of the past, even the times she had spent living in poverty. She idly wondered from time to time how her family had coped without her, but she's never acted on any impulse to visit the whole time she was at Vishkar. Her hands rested on the final book to be put away, a memento left to her from Sanjay, her mentor ever since joining the corporation. To others, it was simply just another literature explaining different hard-light architecture prototypes and examples used since the founding of Vishkar. To her, it was a treasure that she cherished as she's been one of the few who'd actually fashioned her own structures due to its abundant illustrations. Setting the book gingerly on her bedside table, she had every intention of light reading it every night to help calm her nerves. Satya dismantled the hard-light box that she had carried her items in, nodding in satisfaction at the perfection of her organization.

She took note of the time on her hologram clock, her ears picking up the faint sounds of merriment in the main hall. It never made sense to her how anyone could hold a party for as long as they had. Satya never truly disliked parties, but she'd considered two hours was the maximum amount of time needed to throw one. Not double that amount. Once she had everything sorted about the room, it was late, half an hour past 11. That was far too late to be up and bantering in her account. The curfew she had grown used to in Vishkar was the ideal time for someone to settle down and get ready for sleep. Too much adrenaline so late in the night resulted in a disastrous daily routine and affected work efficiency. Even if they didn't have a mission to go to in the morning, they'd surely still have something to do. How could the commander ever tolerate such irresponsibility, she pondered. There were many differences between Overwatch and Vishkar that she'd have to slowly adjust to.

Redirecting her attention elsewhere, she set her gear to the side and changed out of her formal clothes into sleepwear. Satya crawled under the sheets, grimacing slightly at the foreign texture in comparison to the silky fabrics made of hard-light that she had been so used to. Were she not determined to conserve her energy, she would have made her own. After struggling to find comfort in the new place, she finally let sleep take over.


	2. Chapter II: Tactical Training

**Disclaimer:** Jeff Kaplan owns all rights to Overwatch and its characters. I own rights to this story ;) Also, sorry for any characters being out of character, such as Morrison maybe.

 **Chapter II: Tactical Training**

Satya woke early the next morning, shifting about under the sheets. Letting out a small groan, she lifted her head to observe the time, the hologram clock marked an hour before sunrise. Unable to rest any longer, the former Vishkar pulled herself out of bed with a sigh. She didn't really have any issues with the bed or room that would cause concern, but a nightmare disturbed her enough to keep her from getting any good sleep. It was never a good sign to experience a bad dream on the first night in a new place, and the dream wasn't the type she'd ever forget. After all, it was about the Vishkar tower shattering into shards of light particles. She changed back into her formal garb and made her way to the kitchen to fix some coffee, unsure of whether any of the other residents would drink any or not. She decided to make a few extra cups worth just in case.

As Symmetra sat down to drink her coffee, she let her gaze wander about the empty room. She wouldn't admit it aloud, but the quietness of the room was immediate relief to her and made her feel more relaxed ever since she joined Overwatch. The peaceful atmosphere was ruined only by the appearance of Commander Morrison, who also produced a cup of coffee for himself. Taking a sip to test its taste, he nodded his head in approval. "You've got good taste in brew strength there, Vaswani," he complimented, bidding her a good morning.

"One must recognize the perfect ratio to achieve a balanced flavor," she replied, appreciative of his words. If there was one thing she could admit to enjoy as much as traditional Indian dancing, it's the taste of a perfectly made cup of coffee. The commander took a seat at the table, rolling his neck to stretch and looking every bit as exhausted as she, possibly even more so. Understandable as the man was always busy and has probably had more sleepless nights than she did. In a way, he reminded her of an older version of Sanjay.

Tapping a finger on the handle of his cup, he inquired, "How was your first night in the base?" She paused, unsure of how to respond, feigning deep thought for an answer. There were no real issues when it came to her stay, so far. The party from the night before wasn't what she expected, but she had no room to complain either. Perhaps her pause was too long. He picked up on it right away, taking another sip of his coffee. "Well, it is just the first day after all. It takes everyone a while to get used to things around here."

"Yes, I suppose that's true," she admitted. It was never easy for her to adapt to new environments, save for when she joined Vishkar, and sometimes she wondered how she ever grew accustomed to going out on missions for the company. Maybe the reason was because she donned an entirely different ego as Symmetra – a cold, no-nonsense type of persona – on duty.

"If nothing else, I hope you've had enough rest. Today starts your training and analysis. All new recruits are tested for their abilities so that I can determine which position and tasks best suit you. Once Dr. Ziegler has everything prepared in the lab, we'll be ready to start. I'll summon you when the time comes," instructed the commander.

"Affirmative," she replied with a curt nod. Everything said and done was as she figured to be expected of her. Training would pose no problem like it would for some new recruits. The two were soon visited by the doctor and Captain Amari, both women making their way into the kitchen to begin preparing the morning meal.

Satya was beginning to wonder how rations were given and whether or not Overwatch had its own kitchen staff or not. It seemed more like there were members who were given certain duties to get things done. Everyone pulled their own weight. It didn't surprise her that the base would have its own meals on occasion, but she wasn't sure of who would perform the duty of cooking. Noticing her wandering gaze, Morrison spoke up. "We provide meals when given the chance if missions don't get in the way. When there's no one who can cook, then we order something to be sent in and prepared in the cafeteria. Fast meals are usually more common, but this week we're on break. Angela prepares the food most occasions, aided by Ana and Mei sometimes. I've even seen Rutcliffe in the kitchen a few times."

Symmetra blinked, focusing her blank expression back on the commander. Her eyebrow furrowed in scrutiny and disbelief. "That Rutcliffe?" She couldn't even fathom the thought.

"Surprisingly, the man knows how to cook. He does love food after all, even though most of his meals focus on junk foods and sweets. His explosive friend is another matter, however. Let's just say there was a lot of property damage and he's not allowed anywhere near cooking appliances. Even the toaster," Morrison sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. Satya nodded in understanding. She couldn't imagine the smaller Junker to have any decent enough qualities, likely the type to burn food beyond the point of edibility. The commander made it obvious the Junker would do much worse than that. Though, if she was to be perfectly honest, she hadn't any experience in the culinary field herself. Preparation of ingredients wouldn't be a problem, but she had no talent for constructing meals. She's never had the necessity to cook before.

The scent of food promised the company of the other residents before long. As if on cue, Roadhog and his scraggly companion were the first to appear and pile up their plates, followed by a hungover cowboy and dwarf-like man. Reinhardt bellowed a hearty good morning to the others as Zenyatta and the Shimada brothers entered the room. The omnic and half-mechanical Genji had no need for food, but they were not ones to skip out on socializing with their peers. Tracer dashed in, heading straight for the pantry to grab a tub of peanut butter and three bananas for her furry friend Winston. The only ones not present were still on mission elsewhere – , Lucio, Pharah, Mei, and Zarya. Bastion was about in the mech room, idling with its bird companion Ganymede that was being fed seed.

Symmetra waited until the commotion settled down before fixing a plate for herself, thankful that rations were surprisingly enough to satisfy the large group. Her portions were humble, not unlike that of some of her peers and highly contrasting that of Roadhog's several plates. The large man, along with Reinhardt, required more sustenance for energy, though she didn't think the former any less of a pig once he raised his mask just enough to wolf down the food, the rest of his face still a mystery to the others. His heavy snorting as he scarfed down the meal and lack of cutlery use made him seem even more of an animal in her definition. At least Reinhardt had the decency to eat with a knife, despite the meal consisting of mostly eggs.

Satya turned her focus to her own plate, subconsciously setting it in a perfectly symmetrical fashion, even portions of eggs, sausage, and toast on both sides. Her plate was accompanied by a more preferred beverage of milk to compliment her cup of coffee, compared to that of the punch of last night's party. She tilted the cup to her mouth, relishing the cool, sweet drink with every sip she took. Throughout the meal, she balanced bites of each item with a sip or two of her drinks until the plate was emptied. Symmetra was perfectly aware of the limit of food she could intake, satisfied from the amount she had acquired. Not too much to stuff her, but just enough to where no hunger would show for several hours, no matter if she took part in strenuous activity or not.

All through breakfast, she ate quietly and slowly, taking her time to observe the others around her. Though most were present, their behavior was not as chaotic as last night. She could actually grow accustomed to them better around mealtimes, provided they weren't nearly as rowdy. The commander and Dr. Ziegler were the first to excuse themselves, both having business to take care of, followed closely by Ana, Tracer, Winston, and Torbjorn. Zenyatta and Genji relocated to a patio outside to meditate, Hanzo pondering on whether to join and meditate or practice on the target range. He chose the latter. Though the brothers were both on better terms since Hanzo joined Overwatch, a surprising turn of events for both the archer and swordsman, the two still had a lot of history to mend, and Zenyatta was the perfect middle ground between them. The process was going slowly only on the account of the elder Shimada's stubborn pride. He would never let it show, but he was relieved to have found at least a little bit of inner peace, and he had his own brother to thank for that.

No longer finding comfort amongst the noisier members, Satya took this chance to leave the room as well, heading off to prepare for training that was soon to come. She was in her room, straightening her battle gear, when her communicator rung. Her focus was drawn to the holographic message it displayed, her summons and a small map appearing to direct her where to go. Memorizing the layout, she locked the door behind her and wound her way through the titanium halls. Reaching the grounds, she was greeted by both Commander Morrison and a less hungover McCree. They joined inside with the Swiss doctor where Symmetra was tested for her vitals and adorned with neuron-trackers. The nanotechnology was used to monitor their conditions during combat.

"Well then, if you're ready Miss Vaswani, you may enter the grounds," Mercy instructed. Satya nodded, checking her photon gun one more time to make sure it was fully charged before stepping into the room. Setup was just as expected, simply a room with targets, training bots, and synthesized environmental covers made for emergency escape from enemy fire. She made sure to take note of her routes and any hidden passages that could either serve in her favor or provide an opportunity for enemy ambushes.

Satya readied her gun before her, her robotic arm coming up to activate her communicator as she shifted into a battle-ready stance. "I'm ready to begin," she informed. She was answered by the whirring of activated bots. Her first action was to project a barrier to block fire. The photon frame soaked in the bullets, melting away the ammunition into nothing but vapor. Occasionally, a few bullets made it through with little damage, only to be discarded harmlessly onto the floor from the barrier. Defense was her specialty, but she knew a counterattack was expected of her.

Lining up a shot, Symmetra charged a particle blast from behind the barrier, the orb of convoluting and convulsing light growing into a point of near instability. Just before the shot could retract or backfire to her, she released the trigger, sending the blast to a number of bots. Some managed to escape her shot, too distracted to return fire. Three were caught in her line of fire, dense metal plating melting slightly at the hard-light's intense heat. Had she sent a direct shot to anyone, her target would become severely injured and suffer from fourth degree burns. A more precise orb would penetrate skin and even kill her victim if she so chose. Her personal motto was not to kill unless it was absolutely necessary, but she showed no hesitancy towards combat programmed bots.

In the room above her, McCree let out a whistle, though she was unable to hear them without the communicator on. "Sure would hate to get caught in that," he commented, running his organic hand over the stubble on his chin. He was both impressed and anxious at the same time, attempting to hide the nervousness in his voice to no luck.

Angela laughed, her attention never leaving the monitors. She stopped taking notes on her clipboard to point her pen towards him. "You're not getting cold feet now all of a sudden are you?" she teased.

"Hey now, anyone would have concerns about getting hit by that thing. Though come to think of it, you know we've seen much worse," McCree retorted in defense. In hopes to change the topic, he continued, "Can't deny that shot would come in handy in a real fight, even if it may be slower than normal bullets."

"You make a good point there," said the commander. He continued to observe the trainee with arms crossed. "We could certainly use that kind of artillery on some missions. Don't get discouraged though, McCree. You'll be in there soon. We can't have you getting all… what do you call it? Lily-livered?" He chuckled at the expression the cowboy gave him.

Down below, Satya chanced a glance to her gun, noticing the amount of photon particles it had left in its ammunition storage. She would soon need to reload. Directing another barrier before her, she took a moment to relocate behind a false boulder to shelter her. Flicking her biotic wrist, she called up a polygon of hard-light that was redirected to recharge the gun. Once the cartridge screen flashed to full, Satya prepared herself for the second phase of combat. Her eyes scanned around her shelter for an alternate route from which she entered. Simply programmed or not, there was no doubt the training bots were waiting for her to reappear. Finding a suitable passage, she carefully constructed a portal pad at her shelter before sprinting onward.

Taking note of the lotus-like stage she had erected, McCree mused, "Wonder what that thing is used for. You don't recon it's some kind of bomb do ya?"

Mercy shook her head in response. "The scanners are picking up atomic emissions that warp around the structure. It could be another form of barrier that adds energy particles around those nearby as protection," she explained, her observation depending heavily on the equipment before her. To be perfectly honest, she was only making an educated guess and could be completely wrong. Winston could better explain the readings, but he was currently busy in his own lab. The cowboy only let out a contemplative hum in return before focusing back on Symmetra.

"Well, let's just wait and find out," Morrison added. He nodded his head to direct their attentions back to the training grounds where Satya was beginning her next attack. "She may surprise us."

The ex-Vishkar moved swiftly to the next wave of enemy bots, readying her gun before her as she marked another route with her eyes. She shot a few hard-light orbs to her targets, drawing their attention to her new position. As she expected, the entire remainder of the bots advanced on her. Continuing to fire her rounds, she waited for the perfect opportunity to commence the next step. Morrison noticed the change in behavior just from her stance. He smirked, a little impressed by her strategizing, though his two companions weren't aware of it yet. They were oblivious to what would happen next, but the commander began to figure it out.

Satya waited patiently for the bots to draw nearer, almost casually sending orbs their way while dodging their bullets with ease. She didn't bother with a barrier this time as she's memorized their attack patterns by this point. Once they came within the range she had prepared, she feigned to her left into another escape route. Her gun was still half loaded, but she had another plan in mind rather than reloading. As she counted down seconds in her head, she reached a hidden pocket and set up another lotus stage. The stage whirred to life, hard-light appearing as an oval the size of her body. Its counterpart in the other location followed suit. Without hesitation, she jumped into the light… and vanished from sight.

"Hey, hold on. Where the heck did she go?" McCree asked, squinting his eyes to search for the invisible woman. He leaned against the observation panel, beginning to wonder if maybe he was still drunk when his vision faltered slightly. His question was answered by a single point of the commander's finger towards the other portal. From the oval, Symmetra's form was reconstructing into appearance, unscathed. "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle," exclaimed the cowboy, scratching the back of his head at what he just witnessed. "That's one hell of a trick."

"She's got another one up her sleeve," Morrison added, observing Satya's determined expression. He saw the realization don on both of his companion's faces as they watched. Down below, Satya crept to the exit of her shelter, behind the unsuspecting training bots, and fired a fully charged orb of light their way. Before any of the bots could figure out what was going on, too concerned with following her previous route before the teleportation, they were melted away by the energy blast. The tight, synthetic corridor she had led them into left no means to escape its linear path. As the light particles faded away, she was able to admire her own work. Everything went as she planned. There were no bots left that were capable of counterattack now.

"Well done, Miss Vaswani!" Angela cheered over the communicator. She was still shocked by the turn of events, equally impressed and excited from the thrill. "That was spectacular." Her gaze idled over the bots with concern. They weren't beyond repair, but she felt sorry that Torbjorn would have to find more parts rather than put them back together like he usually did. The energy orbs melted most of the metal plates in some, even disabling some wires and frying chips.

Morrison spoke next, "Are you ready for your next challenge or do you need a break?" From the looks of things, Symmetra seemed to be as collected as when she first started, never breaking a sweat. The vital scanners had only shifted when she dashed through the teleporters, a pause in its tracking at the moment she physically disassembled into light particles before rematerializing seconds later.

As if to confirm this, she replied, "I'm ready to commence." At this response, the commander nodded to McCree.

"Alright, you got it," said the cowboy, tipping his hat as he exited the room to join Satya on the training grounds. "Let's see how you do in a real fight," he smirked earning no response that he was expecting. Symmetra bowed her head to her opponent, staying silent as she began to formulate a new strategy. She anticipated having to face an actual person during combat training, but there were only a select few abilities she was willing to use against a living person, still standing by her motto of not taking lives.

"In battle, you'll have to get used to knowing how your opponents move and the likelihood that they may or may not already be aware of your own abilities," Morrison announced over the communicator. "Show us what you've got, Vaswani." He pulled his hand away from the switch to cross his arms again in his usual pose. Now, the real test starts.

At his command, both sparring partners drew their weapons, McCree producing his at a much faster rate and sending a series of four bullets almost simultaneously. Instinctively, Satya erected a swift barrier to render the bullets harmless, causing the man to smirk again. "Kind figured you'd do that," he remarked, rolling to the side of the barrier to send two more bullets her way. In the same moment, he reloaded his pistol with six fresh bullets, his speed almost inhuman. The shots were faster than that of the bots', and she had no time to redirect her shield. Instead, she dashed away from the line of fire, a bullet just missing her by a hair's breadth. Satya couldn't help but enjoy the challenge, allowing a miniscule smirk to grace her features as well. Her adrenaline was finally starting to kick in.

She wouldn't go as far as to say she enjoyed violence, preferring to use her skills in building more than anything and feeling battle to be unnecessary and barbaric, but she did love to make use of her abilities when given the opportunity. Seeing her strategy work in her favor also pleased her. The former Vishkar retaliated with her own blasts that were avoided just as easily. There was no room for error against her swift opponent. She redirected the barrier between herself and McCree, already charging a much larger blast and sending it his way before ducking to another shelter.

He just barely dodged the molten orb that traveled much slower than the others. Though it was slow, it was massive enough to leave little room to escape. The whiskers on his chin fringed at the proximity of the hard-light's heat as he let out another sharp whistle, watching it pass by. "That's mighty hot. Glad I moved," McCree remarked, redirecting his direction to where his opponent hid away. "But you're not gonna fool me with that trick."

He was right. She knew he was expecting an ambush of some sort, but he wasn't aware that she had another idea in mind. In the observation deck, Mercy wondered aloud, "What do you suppose she'll do next?"

Morrison shrugged his shoulders, answering honestly, "No clue. I'm sure she's got something else in mind. I get the feeling she hasn't shown us everything she's got yet." A lot of ideas ran through his head, some possibly having gone through her mind as well. At the same time, he figured the former Vishkar had another ace up her sleeve to play.

"Same here," the doctor admitted. She continued to take notes of the change in Satya's condition as the two combatants below planned their next moves.

McCree waited with patience to see what Symmetra would do, almost wishing he had a cigar as he waited. Too bad smoking wasn't allowed on the grounds. He hooked his thumbs to his belt, spitting to the side. "You know, I ain't one for waiting," he announced casually. Truth be told, he was ready for her attack any moment. From his observations, he could tell long-range projectiles weren't exactly her strong suit. The cowboy assumed close combat to be her specialty, though she had yet to act in accordance to those suspicions. So, he decided to wait to see what she had in store for him. As if on cue, he caught the tail end of her dress out of the corner of his eye. The cowboy readied his pistol as she emerged from hiding. "There you are."

They exchanged shots, both grazed by each other's fires as they simultaneously ducked out of the way. McCree's organic arm seared in the heat, but the light wasn't enough to reach bone as he expected. In fact, the heat even seemed to cauterize the fresh wound. But it still hurt like hell, he hissed mentally, grasping at the wound with his biotic hand. In return, Satya wore a similar injury, a scratch at her cheek that was beginning to drip blood and a hole in her own prosthetic arm. Fortunately, it wasn't enough to damage any of the light producing mechanisms or else she'd be out of commission until it was fixed.

"Incredible reactions from the both of them," Mercy mused, eyeing the burn on McCree's skin. "And quite the interesting weapon. I wouldn't have to heal that since it's superficial." Even as she watched the two combat against each other, she made sure that things didn't get too out of hand. The less she had to patch up, the better.

"Hm," Morrison responded with a grunt, tapping a finger on his bicep as he held his pose. "She's being careful not to severely harm him, to which I'm grateful right now, but that would cost her in a real fight."

As he said this, McCree confirmed the commander's critique by aiming a shot at Satya once more. The cowboy didn't feel the need to be careful in his position, not when facing a worthy adversary. He was confident in her ability to avoid danger, raising his armed hand a bit to level with her head, a direct headshot lined up. Satya flinched momentarily. She knew he meant business by that point, surprised that the cowboy could be anything besides the drunk fool he was last night. He was a true soldier, despite his usual demeanor. The ex-Vishkar rolled out of the way just in time as the shot was fired, attempting to escape to another shelter again. She would have to try another approach soon.

"Oh, you're not getting away to play hide-n-seek this time, missy," he hollered at her retreating form, giving chase with a kick of his boots. Despite his speed in shooting, she had the upper hand when it came to mobility. Surprisingly swift for one who ran in heels. McCree followed as fast as his clunky boots would permit, determined not to let her escape his sights as she was beginning to round a corner. Just as he followed suit, he caught a flash of light out of the corner of his eye. He took a step back from his advancement, just as a laser beam shot out from the corner behind him. "Ah, what the hell? So, you got turrets too, huh?"

The design was smaller and much more different from that of the turrets Torbjorn builds, but he recognized the focusing beams right away. McCree made sure to stay out of their line of fire as he redirected his attention towards the escaping architect. _Shit,_ he cursed himself mentally. _Where will she ambush from?_ He relocated to a more secure spot, cutting off most routes for her to sneak up on him with. She could only attack from above or in front of his position, so he waited, pistol at the ready and a flashbang in his mechanical hand.

Satya shot out from the shelter behind him, aiming a kick from directly above. He rolled out of the way and threw his flashbang, successfully hitting his mark at the wall behind her. The flash momentarily blinded her as she shook her head to clear her vision. McCree had to keep from shooting her in the head out of habit as she was coming out of her stupor, instead aiming for her leg to immobilize her and end the session. What he didn't expect was for her to direct a counterattack while still blinded.

Thin, wispy tendrils of light particles were produced from her gun as her finger enclosed around a second trigger. The streams grew until they formed a large ray of tangible hard-light, coming in contact with his body. It didn't burn as bad as the blasts she sent earlier, but it did drain him of his energy immediately. He could feel his legs collapse beneath him despite his protests as his body began to go numb. It wasn't until he dropped his pistol that she ceased fire, her vision returning as she gazed upon her weakened opponent. Their match was over, and victory was hers.

McCree let the energy slowly return to his body as he caught his breath, too tired to holster his weapon that laid before him. Once he was able to speak, he chuckled. "That was one hell of a show you gave, miss."

"You were formidable yourself," she returned the compliment, lowering her gun and returning his pistol to him. She offered a hand for her opponent to stand, to which he had no complaints as he was still regaining feeling in his limbs. They exchanged a single handshake before turning on their communicators to speak to their observers.

"Did you get everything you need here, Doc?" McCree asked of Angela. He was answered by an affirmative. "Good, 'cause I think I'm done. I ain't got any more strength in me right now and I'm sure as hell hankerin' for a smoke."

 _Of course,_ Satya thought with a roll of her eyes. She couldn't help but catch the scent of cigars wafting from the man at this proximity. _A drunk and a smoker, why am I not surprised?_ Her mental sarcasm hung heavy even in her own thoughts, she was afraid it might slip through her mouth for a moment. "Likewise, I'm also ready for a break and shower," Satya added. The two training partners were responded with a dismissal to which they exited the grounds with relief.

As McCree went outside for his smoke and Satya headed for her room, Morrison and Dr. Ziegler went over the analysis of their session. "Well, that's that. I have a good understanding of Vaswani's abilities now, and I believe I know just the team to assign her to. She won't be out on our most dangerous missions, at least not yet. I feel like she's still the type to hold back," Morrison commented.

"She did tell me once that she abhorred killing," Angela replied, stacking her paperwork and saving the file on the system before standing from her seat. She hadn't even realized that an hour and half had already passed and lunch was soon to start.

"Well, we wouldn't want it any other way here in Overwatch, anyway," the commander pointed out. He was right. The group wasn't the type to kill, unlike a certain organization that made it its duty to all but exterminate life indiscriminately, including the lives of Overwatch members. Talon had proved to be a thorn in their side as of late, and, if there was any of his enemies that deserved elimination, the organization was priority. Other than that, Overwatch was primarily concerned with keeping the populace safe from harm caused by different groups around the world. Their more dangerous missions were only concerned with countering Talon's attacks.

The commander and Mercy left the observation deck to their own quarters, completing their tasks of planning missions and organizing data, respectively. They rejoined with the other members of Overwatch as lunch was being served, this time prepared by Ana. After lunch, Symmetra headed straight to her room to rest and exercise with yoga, finding comfort in the temporary solitude and peace. She was informed that afternoon that her roommate's group was finished with their mission and were making their way back.


	3. Chapter III: First Impressions

**A/N:** Hey guys, I have to check in by saying I made a small edit to this chapter. It's nothing too noticeable really, but I've realized that will not let me put D. Va as one thing in the chapter, because apparently it's an emote. I've noticed it omits any form of emotes. I think I may have gotten them all. Sorry about any confusion in this chapter. I'll try to remember this from now on.

 **Disclaimer:** Overwatch and its characters belongs to creator Jeff Kaplan. This fanfic belongs to me.

Also, I think it's obvious how much I enjoy writing action scenes such as in the last chapter. And that chapter was just basic training practice. Anywho, I'd also admit that I had fun with this chapter as well, only because I ultimately think D. va and Symmetra could hit it off as best buds (ultimate-ly hah get it?... sorry). I only wish they had in-game conversations. Also, my OTP makes an appearance here. ReinxAna is too pure :3 Onto the chapter!

 **Chapter III: First Impressions**

A week had past, and Satya had gotten comfortable with the room little by little, despite the stationary figurines that watched her with their painted eyes. That was until a certain, outgoing brunette charged in, two pairs of pink triangles dotting her cheeks and a video card waving about in her hand. "Awww yeah! Time to upload some cool shots!" she shouted, oblivious to the silent and startled female that occupied the other side of the room. The peaceful solitude Satya had been enjoying was now gone.

Hana Song inserted the card into her computer, busying herself with uploading the videos of her mission when she felt the presence of someone else in the room. Her chestnut gaze wandered over to see she was not alone. "Hiya! You must be my new roommate right?" she greeted cheerfully.

Too stunned to say anything, Symmetra nodded as she watched the younger girl gather a bundle of snacks and two Mountain Dews, the load too much for her spindly arms to carry properly. The Korean didn't seem to care. "Welcome then! Hope you've been guarding the room okay. A couple of certain Junkers have the tendency to try to steal my stuff," Hana grumbled, stuffing a handful of chips into her mouth as she typed away at the computer furiously. Satya was not pleased to hear her words. Theft of her belongings was the last thing she wanted, especially by those two animals.

Finally finding her words, she replied, "I've kept the door securely closed when not present in the room." It was a habit of hers after all. In fact, she continues to check several times to make sure the door had no other way of access other than by using the key. _Or blowing a hole into it_ , she thought aggravatingly. She wouldn't put it past either of them when it came down to their obvious affinity for explosives.

"Awesome! I like you already," the Korean beamed at her roommate, casually hitting the enter key that loaded whatever it was from her video card to the computer. After loading was complete, Satya could see clips of a small base with guards and civilians on the inside and miniscule band of what looked to be robbers pounding away at the door. D. Va was seen in the next clip, ejecting from her MEKA to shoot the robber's guns out of their hands, aided by Zarya's gravity barrier and Pharah's concussive shot. Satya wrinkled her nose, eyebrows furrowed. Wasn't there some kind of rule to keep missions confidential? And did she just see the Korean girl upload it onto a public media site?

Hana cheered at herself through the screen, the camera apparently having been mounted on the inside of her MEKA as the girl turned around holding up peace signs. "Did you see that? That was awesome!" she squealed to herself, taking a rather unhealthy gulp of Mountain Dew. The amount she had consumed would surely not agree with her stomach later. What Satya didn't know was that this was Hana's average consumption rate of the soda drink while she games. The former Vishkar clenched her jaw instinctively as she heard a faint, rhythmic bass playing in the background of the video.

Somewhere, Lucio was parading around with his world-famous music amped. Music playing on his speaker gun, amplified by its trigger. On Vishkar's stolen technology. Satya ground her teeth silently, tuning out the music before she lost her nerve. Neither did she pretend to enjoy the girl's enthusiasm to forego confidentiality. Not that Hana was bothered with her roommate's silence. She had already begun playing a game of Starcraft, occasionally going "AFK" to watch her followers increase after uploading the video.

The Indian was attempting to concentrate on a book she had recently purchased – trying and failing – when a knock on the door reverberated the room, followed by an all too familiar thumping of music. Satya narrowed her eyes, passively glaring holes into the page before her as Lucio called out. "Hey, D. Va. Up for some gaming? Challenge you at a game of Mario Karts. Bet you can't beat me this time," he hollered through the door. Symmetra cringed just hearing his voice, hoping to all of the gods that her roommate wouldn't oblige or didn't hear through her own headphones. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side.

The Korean told her online friend that she was going to log, rushing to the door to greet the DJ. Her eyebrows were drawn in premature triumph, a wry grin on her face as she replied to him. "I'm going to make you eat those words, Lucio. You're on!" she said with false hostility, failing to hide her mirth. It was obvious the two were close friends. _Of course they are,_ Satya thought as she watched their exchange of silly insults. She got the feeling that D. Va was the whole reason why Lucio was even allowed to join Overwatch. What she didn't know was that she was only half right. The members of the group had recruited the Brazilian before Hana began to brag about his deeds.

Giving the unwanted guest a sizing up in scrutiny, she was surprised that he looked nothing like she imagined. Satya was expecting a dirty hoodlum, appearance to be more closely related to that of the Junkers to be honest, with an unruly, explicit set of clothing and gangster motifs. She had never actually seen him, only heard of his transgressions amongst her peers in Vishkar. The only part of him that even remotely came close was his choice of hairstyle, tight braids wrapped in ridiculously large dreads with small speakers attached to the ends to hold them in place. Otherwise, he was void of blemishes that she expected of a street ruffian, other than the painted frog tattoo on his left shoulder. Even his goatee was neatly trimmed and clothes not at all on the baggy side. Adding onto her disbelief, he had the decency to remove his roller skates as he entered the room, another piece of gear that was modified using the Vishkar's hard-light technology that he carried with him. _Apparently, there was no rule against members of the opposite sex entering one another rooms either_ , she thought with annoyance.

Satya hadn't realized she'd been staring at the two of them until Lucio's gaze met hers. _Oh that's just great,_ she thought with annoyance clearly written on her face. Seeing his eyes widen at the sight of her, she mentally kicked herself for allowing direct eye contact to occur. To some relief, he didn't seem to know who she was just yet, or at least who she's worked for previously.

"Hey. Sorry, didn't see you over there," he apologized, waving his hand as a greeting. At least he had the decency to excuse his rudeness of intruding. "You're new right? I'm Lucio. This is D. Va, or Hana rather, as I'm sure you know." He pointed between himself and the gamer.

Hana shrunk away with sudden nervousness, laughing pitifully at her own stupidity. "Oh… um. I haven't actually formally introduced myself. My fault." The two friends laughed at some joke Satya didn't quite understand. She didn't laugh or even crack a smile in return.

Instead, she closed her eyes calmly, marking her place in her book before putting it to the side. She would be civil about this situation, that much she would make sure of. Raising from her seat on the bed, silently thankful she was at least decent in appearance in the presence of others, she stiffly offered her name out of common curtesy before excusing herself from the room, desperate to get far away from her least-liked coworker. Lucio and Hana exchanged glances after her departure.

"Something I did?" Lucio asked, perpetually confused. He was answered by an equally unsure shrug. Deciding not to dwell on the Indian's behavior the two set up to play a series of Mario Kart and Super Mario Bros Smash, D. Va without a doubt leaving him in the dust with her honed skills. Though, Lucio refused to give up without a fight, whooping and hollering whenever he gained an upper hand.

As they carried on with their competition, Satya sought out another form of company, finding solace in the Chinese climatologist who was conversing with Zarya and Winston. The three of them were huddled up in a decent sized lab with shelves of test tubes, chemicals, and lab books lined up on every wall. They seemed to be discussing the data gathered on Mei's and Zarya's last mission, going over the weapons that the robbers had been given from suspicious parties.

"Pfft, the guns were nothing," Zarya scoffed in her heavy Russian accent, pounding a fist in her palm as if crushing the imaginary machinery in her hands. "I could break them like twig."

Mei nodded in agreement with her friend, producing surveillance videos for Winston to see. "She's right, they weren't too much to look at, but the emblem on their handles caught my eye," said the climatologist. The gorilla took off his glasses for a moment to clean them before pushing them up on his nose again and peering closely at the footage.

He snorted as he recognized the insignia. "Hmph, so Talon is giving away weapons to anyone and everyone now? It makes no sense. What would they gain?" he inquired. "Mei, do you mind if I take this to the commander? He'll want to see this."

"Of course," nodded the Chinese girl. She ejected the card, handing it over to her primate friend as he went to visit Morrison. On his way out, he greeted Symmetra who was idling just outside the door frame. Mei followed suit. "Oh, Nihao. I don't believe I've seen you around here before."

Satya stiffly waved her prosthetic hand in return. "Yes, I joined while you were away on a mission. My name is Satya Vaswani. From what I've heard, you're Mei-Ling Zhou and Aleksandra Zaryanova," she gestured to them respectively. "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

"As well," Zarya responded, offering a hand to shake. With some hesitancy, Satya obliged, instantly regretting it as the larger woman's hand almost crushed hers and ripped her arm off in the gesture. The Russian woman chuckled, "You need some more meat on those bones, but you're still sturdy. I can't wait to work alongside you." Symmetra blinked, unsure of whether that was a complement or not before thanking Zarya anyway.

"Likewise. We're glad to have you here," Mei smiled warmly. She didn't request a handshake, instead pulling out a small drone that chirped and beeped. What looked like a smile had appeared on its digital screen. "And this is Snowball, my trusty bot. I was about to make some tea and relax. Would you like to join?"

Satya felt a small smile begin to form, relief washing over her to replace the anxiety she's had until now. Finally, she was able to find someone she could relax with. In no offense to Tracer and Winston, but the racing Brit was too much energy for her to be comfortable around, and she still couldn't quite get used to seeing a talking gorilla in a group of mercenaries, for lack of a better term. His intelligence and ability to speak wasn't what surprised her, considering how far technology has come, but she couldn't fathom why he would want to be an active part of battle. He's been well known for his overwhelming primal strength and ingenious prototypes, but he wasn't really what she would call the type to take up the front lines. And yet, the gorilla was proficient with both sides of battle, front and rear. Satya could probably get used to his presence as a respectable scientist, if nothing else.

"I'd be honored to join you in drinking tea," she replied. The three women made off towards the kitchen, Zarya breaking away as she spotted Reinhardt reading a newspaper at one of the tables. She was insistent on having a series of arm-wrestling matches with him, to which he heartily accepted. Both had cleared off the table completely, showing off their massive muscles by flexing in the most ridiculous fashion that Satya has ever witnessed. She and Mei joined Ana and Fareeha who were pulling out the tea settings. They discussed which flavor tea to brew that they could all enjoy, eventually settling for a lavender infused herbal tea, none all too picky about which choice was made.

Symmetra inhaled the aroma from her cup, reveling in the soft warmth being emitted and listening in to the other's conversation. She's never been one to talk to others, save for the occasional greetings and asking about one's well-being. There was nothing for her to really discuss. That didn't mean she disliked company and idle chatter coming from others, taking pleasure in being an audience to their enthusiasm. Mei's topic of conserving thermal energies had actually begun to interest Satya when she was bumped into all of a sudden, the tea cup from her hands jolting forward. She managed to keep hold of the porcelain dish to keep it from getting damaged, but the hot liquid still splashed over onto her hands. Her lips thinned as she twisted around to see who had caused the disruption.

In her line of sight, two Junkers were having an actual wrestling match, claiming to have been spurred on by Zarya and Reinhardt's competition. The smaller of the two scrap-scavengers was launched towards them, most likely having been the fault of her spilled tea. Instead of apologizing, Junkrat howled with insane laughter before lunging back to his friend, attempting and failing to tackle Roadhog. The two traded blows, bites, and twisting of appendages before Satya's had enough. She stood abruptly, carefully placing her cup on the table as she pulled out her light gun. Though, she had no intention to do any harm, aware of the eyes that were watching her carefully.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, she raised her voice just enough to be heard over the rambunctious duo. "Cease this at once," she commanded, earning a satisfactory pause and silence. Roadhog and Junkrat exchanged glances between one another before eyeing the gun in her hand.

"And who are you, Sheila? Gonna shoot us with that now?" Junkrat snickered, his tone dangerous. He nudged his pig friend in the gut and pointed at her. "Fancy gun, don't you think, mate? I bet we could make some good coin scrappin' that in." His companion let out a heavy snort, almost derisively at her.

"I will give you no more warning. If you do not behave, you will force my hand," Symmetra countered, not fazed by their threatening responses. She raised her gun to prove she would not falter, though she planned on not using it unless she really had to.

Meanwhile, Ana remained seated, calmly drinking her tea while observing the situation before her. She was aware of the antics Junkrat and Roadhog displayed on a daily basis, having needed to restrain the two on occasion herself. Her curiosity was piqued by the newer member as she eyed the photon gun the former Vishkar displayed. The sniper knew from its design that it wasn't suited for lethal shots, unlike that of the Junker's bombs, and neither was the owner suited for intentional confrontation as she could observe in Symmetra's stance and voice. From her analysis, she could conclude the hard-light user as one who'd carry a bit of an authoritative air, but is not the type to take action unless it was necessary. Ana's gaze shifted back to the lankier Junker as he retorted back in his usual demeanor.

"Oooh, how scary," Junkrat snickered, raising both hands in mock surrender with fingers wiggling. Then he wailed in laughter, wiping away a tear that formed from his eye and holding his sides. His laughter was out of control, to put it lightly. His grin turned dark as he brandished his own grenade launcher. Behind him, Mako cracked his knuckles. Weapons were allowed to be carried within headquarters on the account that they would be necessary against surprise attacks by intruders. However, this allowance was enough to make some members act rash from time to time. No casualties have been made so far, only because most situations were resolved immediately.

At his action, the old markswoman set down her tea and rested a hand on the small tranquilizer gun hidden away under her jacket. When the Junker issued a challenge back to Satya, Ana intervened. "That's enough, Fawkes. Stand down. Or would you two rather return to prison?" she sniped, words affective in freezing both Junkers in their place. They both knew the threat wasn't an empty one, having already experienced isolated cells not too long ago. Out of the corner of his eye, Junkrat could see Reinhardt also shooting a hard stare his direction. The older Overwatch soldiers were fully capable of seizing control rather quickly, skillful as they were with out-of-line members over the years.

With some reluctance and disappointment for not being able to blow anything up, the smaller Junker grumbled under his breath, "Not like that'd hold us for long anyway," before retreating with his bodyguard. As they cleared out of the room, the other members returned to their own business. Ana released her hold on the tranquilizer and took another sip of her tea, discretely mouthing a 'thank you' to her partner in arms. Reinhardt beamed his award winning smile as he left for the training grounds with Pharah, both always enjoying to spar and practice together.

"Vaswani," Ana called after refilling her empty cup. Symmetra had already holstered her gun when she turned to face the sniper. Her appearance was collected and calm, but internally she worried that maybe she had crossed the line. After all, it wasn't her place nor authority to take action in headquarters. If she had added fuel to fire, more than likely she would have been sent away with the Junkers. Satya held her breath, waiting for the elder woman to continue.

Ana smiled lightly, her keen eye spotting the Vishkar's hesitancy. "Relax, I'm not going to chew you out. Rather, I want to thank you for stepping in. If the situation had gotten worse, Reinhardt would have had to use brute force to get them to cool off," she chuckled. At her words, Satya felt her shoulders relax some. "Though, I will suggest you think before you act as well. I don't want our new recruit getting into some mishap very first thing."

"I understand," replied Symmetra. The sniper was right. She had let her emotions drive her actions, despite her better judgments. Her hands clenched at her sides as she cursed her own recklessness, light scald marks dotting her thumbs. The injuries weren't painful, but her own foolishness frustrated her. How could she ever let something so diminutive upset her? Satya's thoughts were broken when Ana stood and took one of her hands to hand her something. In her palm sat a medical capsule, similar to those that took residence in the sniper's biotic darts.

"You'll feel better once you take that. Those burns will be gone in no time," Ana explained, wrinkle lines stretching with her smile. Symmetra immediately felt her anxiety melting away just like that. Mei offered her a cup of tea to which she gratefully accepted. The former Vishkar mixed in two cubes of sugar and a little bit of cinnamon before taking a few sips to calm herself.

As she felt her nerves completely relax, she sighed, "Are they always that unreasonable? I don't understand the reason why we have criminals in our midst."

Mei giggled and nodded her head. "Well, yeah. Their personalities are pretty predictable. I've even had to freeze one or the other while they were causing trouble. Sometimes, they just need to cool their heads… Pardon the pun." The joke was corny, but it made Satya smile if only for the moment. Then, her brow furrowed.

"If they are so much trouble, what makes it worth keeping them here?" she asked. It was an enigma that plagued her mind.

After taking a sip of her own tea, the climatologist replied, "Commander Morrison believes that they have the ability to reform themselves, on the basis that the radiation that had warped their cognition can be fixed or reversed. Dr. Ziegler has been looking into it ever since they were recruited, and I have no doubts to her medical knowledge. However, I don't see any changes can be done to their personalities, cured or not." Mei let out an exasperated sigh, shrugging and shaking her head. She's experienced several occasions of the smaller Junker bullying her. Roadhog she could tolerate to some extent as he preferred to stay quiet and sit around. Junkrat was his polar opposite.

"You'll learn how to deal with them after a while," Ana said, chuckling. "On the battlefield, you're free to do as you wish to keep them from ruining the mission, provided your interjection doesn't cause even more trouble."

Satya took the advice to heart. She had the right idea just now, but performed rather poorly in taking control in the situation and establishing equal grounds with the Junkers. Ana's own interjection was one to marvel on. She needed not to draw attention to her weapon or threaten to attack with it in the way that Symmetra had. The warning was still there, but the sniper knew the exact words to use to dissuade the hot-headed Fawkes. Making a mental note to improve herself in this field, the Vishkar changed topic to discuss Mei's technology.

The Chinese girl was happy for the new subject, eager to forget about the two criminals for the moment. Her excitement built up when she began explaining the mechanism to her freeze gun and how it could flash freeze anything without causing damage. Like the Vishkar employee, she also abhorred the act of killing, admitting that she had only killed one person in her life and that it was a desperate act to save herself. "It was a terrible feeling that I don't want to relive. I was lucky to escape with my life. Now, I make sure that the enemy doesn't come that close ever again. I would either disarm them by shooting my ice cycles into their weapons or freeze myself until help arrives," the climatologist said. Truthfully, she wasn't overly fond of the last-ditch effort to freeze herself either, for personal reasons that she would rather not openly discuss, but it was better than taking another life.

"That's noble of you," Satya remarked. She only wished she could say the same. Through her life in Vishkar, she had not been as lucky, forced to take lives when the situation turned dire. Some of her targets couldn't have been persuaded or subdued. She had even been physically assaulted on her normal rounds around the headquarters in Utopia. And she had no way to defend herself with in the same sense as Mei. Her photon shield was easily passable, she reluctantly admitted to herself, as was proved in the training grounds on her first day. When her life was in danger, she had no choice but to take lives.

She was used to it, unable to count how many she's actually taken. It wasn't a whole lot, but she knew that somewhere there was someone grieving for the loss of a loved one. The sense of guilt never faded away with each life she had to end. Satya stared blankly into her nearly empty cup as she recalled those she killed, their faces were ingrained into her memories. She knew the names and families of some. After all, most of her targets had been mutinous Vishkar workers. She would never take the life of a civilian the company worked hard to protect.

"I know what you mean," Ana agreed with the scientist, her voice breaking Symmetra out of her trance. She looked curiously at the sniper. Surely, the older woman's taken more lives than either of her younger peers, considering how long she's been in Overwatch. As if to answer the Vishkar's mental statement, the Egyptian explained, "I've had my fair share of killing after so many years. I only wish I could consider them all to be corrupted omnics, but there were several who were human. The lives I do take, innocent or not, human or omnic, will always be on my conscience. That's why I've modified my rifle to heal. The more lives I can save, the more likely I'll be able to atone."

Satya let the elder woman's words sink in and echo in her mind, her expression frozen in surprise. They were the exact words she needed to hear, and Ana seemed to know this somehow. The sniper smiled gently at her before excusing herself to aid Mercy in the medical lab, leaving Satya to consider her advice.

Even with the Vishkar dispersed, Symmetra still had a function to preserve humanity. She may have taken lives herself, but she was still working to help those in need, just as the company had always tried to do. If she could save lives with her hard-light constructions, then she would have served her purpose.

Satya continued to relax in the dining hall with the others, content with observing the behaviors of those around her and only speaking when a topic caught her interest. As her company slowly began to dismiss themselves, she headed back to her shared room. Pausing in front of the door, the Indian strained to listen for sound inside. Even though she was determined to cooperate with her peers, she still wasn't ready to associate herself with the rebellious thief that aided in the fall of her company.

Unable to detect chattering or the easily recognizable beat of Lucio's music, she unlocked the door and entered. Satya breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed the room empty. A half-eaten bag of chips on the floor was the only evidence that someone had been by recently, and she wasn't at all sure of who'd been the owner. Bothered by its appearance, she scooped up the discarded package of junk food and relocated it to the idol's snack shelf, sealing it to keep it as fresh as possible. With nothing else to do, Satya laid out her yoga mat and shifted through positions, clearing her mind of all distractions.

For a couple of weeks, this was her routine. She'd wake up early, though not before sunrise unless she was plagued with nightmares again. Sometimes, she would do morning exercises before breakfast. Then, she'd keep her own company in private by reading or dancing. Other times, she'd join with a couple of the other members just to idly talk. They'd do most of the talking of course, as she preferred to listen. Satya found herself becoming closer in companionship with the scientists, the doctor, commander, and elder markswoman. Her relations with the British sprinter and both Shimada brothers was also stable, at the very least. She could manage to work with them if she was to be assigned to a mission with them. Satya's even shared some personal views with the omnic monk on rare occasions. The rest of the Overwatch members she could tolerate, save for a few particular names.

Her primary concern was about her safety being compromised when in the same location as the Junkers. Though they had been careful enough not to threaten to attack someone, both took liberty to aggravate her immensely. The smaller one would throw cheap insults to her and her newfound companions in any fashion that seemed possible. Roadhog wouldn't say much of anything, but she's caught him glaring at her through his mask, feeling the intimidating stare bare down into her back when she wasn't looking. If he meant to make her feel uncomfortable, he succeeded. Their banter made her days a living hell when she wasn't in the presence of her peers.

Then, there was the hoodlum she would try to avoid. His presence has increased over time as she would catch him in the company of others. Satya would admit that she knew she couldn't always evade him. Lucio was too popular amongst the better staff, after all. However, she did everything in her power to keep from confronting him, taking any opportunity she could to divert her attention when he glanced her way. She'd even politely excuse herself from her group when he entered the room. The DJ noticed this behavior and was determined to find out what was going on.

Lucio waited patiently at the end of the hall leading to both hers and D. Va's room, bouncing his head in time to the music that played on his headphones, when Symmetra rounded the corner. She saw him immediately and turned back, acting as if she had left something behind. He wasn't falling for that trick. "Hey, hold on a minute," he called out, lowering the volume of his music slightly so he could talk to her without distraction. With some reluctance, Satya paused though she didn't face him. He decided to close the distance instead.

Before he could speak, she interrupted, "If you're looking for Miss Song, she's with Zarya at the training grounds." Lucio shook his head before he realized she couldn't see it.

"No, I'm not here for Hana. I just wanted to ask you why you've been purposely avoiding me. I'm not blind. I know Junkrat and Roadhog give you a good reason to ignore them, but I'm confused on what I've done. Did I upset you in any way?" he asked. If she said yes, he had every intention to apologize for whatever it is that he had done. He didn't want to cause trouble for anyone.

Satya struggled not to respond what was truly on her mind in answer to his question. Of course he's done something wrong. He's caused people to rebel and riot against her company, a company that was created just to protect those same people. He caused it to collapse. But she couldn't say that. Instead, she relaxed and turned to face him fully with a stern expression. Her jaw was stiff as she answered, "You've done nothing. I think you're just imagining things."

He didn't fall for her lie, his face twisting into further scrutiny. "I know for a fact you have been ignoring me. You can't deny that," he retorted before sighing. Lucio became aware that he was facing against a stubborn woman, rubbing at his shoulder. "Look, I don't know what I did, but I just want to say sorry, okay? I don't care if you hate my guts, but I don't want to be the reason for you to leave your friends in the middle of a conversation."

She wanted to yell at him, truly. Wanted to tell him exactly what he did and that no amount of apology would repair what he's done. But she restrained herself. No good would come out of a quarrel after so long. She was determined not to make a mistake while being a part of Overwatch, no matter how difficult it was to do so. That's why she's refused to take any action against the Junkers as of late. Satya gritted her teeth, just wishing he would leave her alone. Then, she paused, blinking in confusion. Wait, what was that last part? Her brow furrowed as she lost her confidence. She didn't know how to respond after that last bit.

"What I'm trying to say is, I won't bother you, and if you don't want me around while you're with them, then that's fine. Just let me know. I know how to give people privacy," Lucio said, trying to find some kind of middle-ground for the both of them to agree on. He extended a hand with a smile, hoping she would accept the peace offering. Satya considered his words, masking the grimace that threatened to surface at the sight of his outstretched hand.

She had no intention on shaking hands, instead giving a firm nod. "As long as you hold your promise, I'll be willing to agree to your terms." That was good enough for him. If her refusing to accept his hand shake had bothered him, he didn't let it show as he let the appendage fall back to his side.

"Deal," he responded. Lucio tapped a finger to his chin in thought. "Hana and I will need to find somewhere to play our games so we won't bother you."

Symmetra pondered for a moment. While the idea was welcome as she would be able to enjoy some peace and quiet in her own room, she'd never truly be in the room that often. For the past couple of weeks, the two had only converged to play video games twice. Other times, Satya and Hana were the only ones in the room as the idol played solo, to which the former Vishkar was able to ignore the gamer for the most part. D. Va's late-night streams was the only thing she had real issues with. Hoping she wasn't going to regret saying it later, Satya assured him, "I will have no issue with you visiting so long as you do not touch my stuff or leave a mess." She felt like she was nagging a child.

Lucio's smile widened as she said this, the gesture instantly making her cringe outwardly. "You really mean that? Awesome!" He gave her a double thumbs-up. She didn't respond, waiting for him to agree to her terms. As if catching on, he added, "I don't go snooping around in other people's business like those two Junkers. Don't sweat it."

 _Says the one who's carrying around physical evidence of theft,_ Symmetra thought to herself. It took all of her will not to glance at the altered weapon that was strapped to his belt. She was still not able to completely trust in his words, but at least they could come down to some agreement. In fact, she was honestly surprised that he could be soundly reasonable, considering his history. Satya idly wondered if he would have a different attitude if he knew who she really was. The longer he went ignorant, the better for her. It meant less confrontation and hassle she had to deal with. Though, she knew it was only a matter of time before he figured it out one way or another. _Let's just hope we'll never be grouped up in missions,_ Satya thought to herself. She dreaded to imagine how that situation would play out.

Later on that week, she had been preoccupied with creating blueprints and miniature models that she'd recently worked on when her communicator beeped. Weaving the hard-light forms back into nanochips in her prosthetic arm, she retrieved the small tablet and tapped the icon that displayed the holo-message.

"Good afternoon, Vaswani," greeted the hologram replicate of the commander. When she returned the greetings, he continued. "How soon will you be ready to leave on a mission? It won't be a long one, probably only a couple of days. You won't be forced if you don't wish to go."

Satya thought on her answer for a moment, though she already had chosen. She would have no issues with leaving, as she really wasn't doing much as of late. A little change in routine would be welcome so long as she was able give her service, and she felt comfortable enough with most of the members to go on missions with them. Satya finally answered, "Preparations would take no time at all. I only require my gear."

"Understood. Rendezvous with me at 900 hours tomorrow in the assembly hall. Your team will be ready to depart by then," he instructed. Symmetra returned with a salute she had begun to pick up from Ana and Pharah. The hologram pixelated and dispersed in moments, and she relocated the communicator into a compact socket in her biotic palm. She returned to finishing her blueprints before turning in for the night, sleep coming early so she would be rested enough to depart in the morning.


	4. Chapter IV: Just My Luck

**Chapter IV: Just My Luck**

You can't be serious, Satya thought to herself, still not believing the turn of events. One moment, she was waking up at a decent hour and gathering her equipment, finishing breakfast to relocate at the assembly. The next moment, she found herself surrounded by the very same people she did not wish to associate herself with. When the commander said she would be added to a group with which her abilities would be a valuable asset, she was expecting something else entirely. Her gaze wavered upon the two Junkers as she made her way over to Soldier 76.

"Are you sure of this?" Satya asked. She had no intention to question his orders, but she still had her concerns. He sensed this.

"Angela, Winston, and I have gone over our analysis and found you to be compatible with most of our defense members. For this mission, you will be assigned to them," he explained. To put it simply, Morrison believed her abilities to be useful for the mission they were to go on and that she was among the few who'd be able to adapt to any trouble made. "Trouble can and will include the behavior of those two punks."

Reluctant as she was to admit, he had a good point. If things ever got hairy with them, she was free to restrict their movements, as Ana had told her before. The only other one who had that capability in their current group was Mei. She only hoped that both their skills combined would be able to restrain the crazed Junkers before they could do any harm to anybody or anything. Satya's second concern lay in their pick for medical assistance, a member who'd she thought was anything but a qualified healer. He had no medical knowledge or practice like the other healers, at least not to her understanding.

Lucio stood to the side and conversed with Tracer, still true to his promise to keep a comfortable distance from Satya. He had his skates equipped and a football in hand with headphones on his ears. Did he think he was going to some kind of game? Satya thought with annoyance. He seemed to take absolutely nothing seriously.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Soldier 76 speaking up to all of them, requesting undivided attention. No one dared to ignore his orders, not even the Junkers. "Your mission is to protect a payload in Eichenwalde. Our client will be carrying goods through checkpoints that are vulnerable to attacks and theft. I trust you'll all handle the escort appropriately. No screwing around and getting each other killed, got that?" As his focus redirected to the Junkers, he received nods. Morrison turned to Mei then. "I'm counting on you and Oxton to lead the team."

"Understood," the climatologist replied with a salute. She was informed of the drop ship arriving in a few moments before the commander dismissed himself. Her attention reverted to the crew she was now in charge of, her expression wavering slightly into disappointment as she eyed Junkrat and Roadhog before her usual optimism kicked in. Mei made her way over to their supplies to assure everything was still in order. After much thought, Satya decided to make use of the free time to help out, thankful that there weren't any awkward airs about the both of them.

Before long, the drop ship had come into view, and the team poured in with their own items. Their packs consisted of basic necessities of water, health packs, and dried, emergency rations. Extra items included personal belongings such as clothing and communication devices. Then, you had things that Satya considered to be unnecessary baggage, such as an unhealthy amount of steel traps, sports equipment, and even Mei's sketchbooks. Provided, the climatologist only carried two, but Symmetra was unsure of the use of such things during a mission. The traps were too dangerous to be designed for simple escort. There was no need for any form of entertainment while performing a duty. At least, that's how she saw it.

Satya herself only carried the utilities needed to sustain herself if she were to run into problems while on the mission. She had not brought any of her own books, nor did she possess a device with which to play any games on. Truth be told, the blueprints she had stored in the data drive in her biotic arm may serve as some kind of distraction, but she had no intention of ever using them. However, as they were up in the air travelling for Eichenwalde, she found that distraction would have been welcome for the long, tiring trip.

Inside the ship, there was a section designed for mission briefing, maps, and control instruments, an enclosure assigned a label specifically prohibiting the entrance of the two Junkers. Satya wondered idly how many times the ship's controls had been tampered by one or the other before the sign was put up. Likewise, the other wing was off limits for the two as it contained fuel reserves and cargo. The only access they had included the central room and the restroom located next to the storage. In the central room, there was a pair of sofas, equipment racks, coffee tables, a hologram of the world map, and a basketball hoop mounted on the wall. Both sofas were decorated by hanging posters and stuffed Pachimari plushies. The former Vishkar blinked with confusion written on her face. Had the side wings not contained instruments suited for an air ship, she would've thought she was in some kind of apartment.

"Come on, Roadie, just let me have one!" cried a distressed Junkrat. Satya's gaze wandered over to where the two Junkers were quarreling over the Pachimari dolls, all of which were monopolized by the larger man as he nearly destroyed the sofa by sitting on it. Mei was trying her best as leader to dissuade their squabble before it went out of hand before they could even start the trip, only to be interrupted by the whining Fawkes. "He started it! He won't let me have one."

"Oh honestly, you're such a child," Mei sighed in exasperation, rubbing her temples. How she was able to tolerate being around the two let alone resort to calling one a child was beyond Satya's comprehension. Meanwhile, Tracer and Lucio were playing with the basketball set that was conveniently implemented into the structure. She had every reason to think they were the culprits of why it existed in the first place. The two made wagers on who'd make the most baskets before the ship landed, neither willing to back down and trading promises to reward the winner with seasonal tickets to a game.

Symmetra resisted the urge to roll her eyes. _Seems like the Junkers are not the only ones behaving childlike,_ she thought to herself. She resorted to taking a seat at the other sofa, content with gazing out of the window and watching the scenery pass them by as the air ship took off. Its speed was one to envy, but it wasn't enough to make the trip seem any shorter, not when she was surrounded by this team. To her, time went too slow, and she was actually finding herself bored out of her wits until the ship touched down at their destination. She refused to mingle with anyone other than Mei or even Tracer who were both pre-occupied. If she ever were to be grouped with the same people, she would have to remember to bring something to distract herself with.

Relief washed over her when she felt the jerk of the air ship as it reached the landing station. On the other side of the room, Satya could hear Tracer sigh. "Aw, rubbish! Guess you beat me this time, Lucio. Tell ya what, if I win our race later, we'll be even." How they even managed to develop a second challenge as a means of forming a tie was lost on the former Vishkar. Their wagers seemed to have only been made out of pure sport and weren't taken whole-heartedly.

"Oh, you're on. I bet I'll still beat you though," Lucio smirked in return. He patted at his leg enhancers and skates in emphasis. "Don't forget, I have these."

Tracer laughed, wagging a finger. "No, YOU forget I have a chronal accelerator. I'll leave you in the dust." Satya inwardly groaned, recalling a conversation of similar nature occurring between the hoodlum and her roommate. She honestly didn't want to hear it again, instead tuning them out altogether as the ship's doors opened for docking.

Before she could even leave the ship, the two flashed by to commence their race, completely ignoring the rest of the team. Satya glanced at Mei incredulously. She could understand the Junkers not really having a care for what the others did, but Mei was the sole leader of this mission currently. And yet, the climatologist didn't seem to bat an eye towards the antics of the sport-goers. Rather, the woman was carrying out her usual business and meeting with their client just outside the docking port. For the time being, both Junkrat and Roadhog were behaving themselves, after much scolding from Mei. All four had just gotten the briefing from their client before Tracer and Lucio quite literally slid around a corner and bounded to them.

"Aw come on, you were going easy on me!" Lucio laughed, catching his breath. Provided, using his skates was much less exhausting than running on his own feet, but he was still tired nonetheless. "I know you can go faster than that."

"I could, but I haven't yet set up my accelerator to do more than a few bursts. You just got lucky," Lena jested, punching him in the arm lightly. "Guess we'll settle for a tie then." Both nodded and gave each other fist bumps, apparently deciding on no rewards offered for their competition. Information of their escort was provided to the two momentarily by Mei before they were urged to their lodge.

The mission was expected to take five days tops, with the first day being reserved for rest after the long flight while the client prepared the goods to be transported. The escort itself would take time passing through checkpoints where everything would be verified to be in perfect shape before moving on. If everything went well and according to plan, the escort would only last for a day and a half, but Eichenwalde lacked heavy security. Some complications may rise and cause a day's delay or worse. Satya hoped it would not come to that.

Not too much time passed before the sun reached its peak as they had arrived at the lodge – a humble and rustic cabin. The structure was large enough to hold a dozen people – with four rooms spacious enough to house a max of three or four people – a lounge, and the reception area. Upon registering their IDs into the check-in, they were given keys to two of the rooms. Mei, Tracer, and Symmetra would occupy one in the east wing, while the males would take residence in its counterpart in the west wing.

The setup was not at all to Satya's liking. She had to already cope with the fact she was paired up with the unruliest of Overwatch's members. Being in such close proximity to them with no means of proper security and in an old-fashioned, nearly dilapidated building did little to ease her anxiety. She had every mind to set up sentry turrets within the halls and in her shared quarters if they would be necessary.

"Since today's our rest period, let's discuss what we're doing for lunch and dinner," Mei announced, her mention of food immediately earning the attention of the Junkers, though it was a well-known fact they would ignore her words otherwise. "We've got the lodge's food and we have a few restaurants to choose from, though not enough to count on one hand in this location. Or I could ask to use the kitchen and cook something, though I'd need some assistance. What's everyone's thoughts?"

"I'm not picky," Lucio chimed in automatically. In all honesty, he could go for any meal, though his preference lay in spicy or wholesome foods. Roadhog grunted in agreement to his claim, also not concerned about the type of food so long as it was something that'd satiate his massive appetite.

"I've had traditional German food and it's not my favorite, but I could go for anything else," Lena pitched in. From the dishes she's had both from Eichenwalde and that were concocted by Reinhardt back at the base, she wasn't overly fond of their tastes.

Junkrat took his time pondering his choices before beaming with a spark in his eye. His mechanical arm shot up and waved about to catch her attention. "Oooh ooh! I vote for barbeque! Hey, don't give me that look." He grumbled when he noticed Mei rolling her eyes. Honestly, she didn't know what she expected. His answer was always the same, even though he didn't gripe when teams chose anything else besides smokehouse foods.

Mei redirected her gaze to Satya in wait of her answer. The Vishkar went rigid, unused to these sorts of discussions. She'd never been one to give opinions or suggestions unless they were related to business in the corporation. Even then, some of her words were not too eagerly accepted by some, only by those who worked close to her such as Sanjay. Symmetra had always just went along with the rest of her coworkers' choices in restaurants. Her only form of pickiness came from the atmosphere of the diners and not of the food itself. If they were too rowdy or unclean, she would not even step foot into them. She'd only just become used to the dining hall back at the base, if only because she lived there now. Unexperienced as she was with Eichenwalde's selections, her answer could not be given. With a slight nod of her head, she replied, "I do not have issues with any of our current choices."

The climatologist nodded in return to all of them. "Well, maybe this will be simple enough then, I suppose. We'll eat out at one of the local places for lunch, and I'll cook something for dinner. If I feel up for it, then I suppose we can have a small barbeque," she announced, catching the exasperated sigh that was beginning to escape from her mouth as she noticed the smaller Junker pump his fists in the air. Truth be told, Mei didn't have nearly enough experience with cooking as some of the higher ups, let alone the confidence in cooking barbeque. However, she knew enough to give it a try. She'd just have to make sure to have a backup, and perhaps her freeze gun or Snowball, just in case.

After some more debate, they decided on one of the restaurants more popular with the locals, as suggested by the receptionist upon being questioned. The food was decent, certainly not the best she's had but it was edible. Satya was even content with the arrangement of the restaurant, her attention heavily focused on the perfectly even distribution of décor and tables. There was still enough noise, even at their own table, but not enough to affect her appetite. She vaguely recalled a discussion between Mei and Lucio, the climatologist asking for tips on making puns, and both Junkers having an eating competition, to which she tried her best to appear like she was still present while ignoring both the conversation and match altogether. They left the restaurant with satisfied stomachs, Mei mindful to leave a generous tip on the table, and rendezvous back at the lodge. Boredom was starting to sink in.

Not the types to be fond of being contained in one room, both Junkrat and Roadhog were outside tinkering with their scrap-custom tools. Mei made sure to warn them both that if any of their devices caused destruction, they would be held responsible and need to pay for the damage. After her nagging, she felt comfortable enough to leave them alone and request Tracer to join her. She decided that they would go to the store to pick up the necessary ingredients for dinner, leaving Satya the role of keeping an eye on the others while they were gone. The Vishkar wasn't overly fond of the idea of leaving her alone with this company, but she wasn't one to ignore orders from her superiors. So, she made herself comfortable in the lounge where she could see the Junkers and whether they were up to mischief or not. Satya would have been fine with reading a book in hand if it weren't for the obnoxious rhythmic beats leaking from Lucio's headphones across the room.

The DJ was fidgeting with his own device, or rather the stolen goods of the Vishkar, fingers expertly switching through its controls. All of the knobs on the gun were added along with the speaker, not at all the craftsmanship of her company and its appearance warped almost to the point of no recognition. His gloved thumbs scrolled through the panel, modified to reveal the different levels of sound that comes from it, whether it belonged to bass or electric origin. He dedicated his time to test through all of the gun's knobs and switches to make sure they were working properly and in tune, a wide smile on his face as he seemed to experiment with new beats in his headphones while doing so. When he was satisfied with the settings, Lucio locked the digital panel and shut off his headphones. His focus shifted to her then.

Raising from his seat, he made his way over, making sure to keep a reasonable distance away while at the same time waving his hand to get her attention. Satya reluctantly pulled her gaze away from the book in front of her, already past the point of concentration, and looked at him. "Hey, I'm going to go out and check the sights, in case anyone's wondering where I went," Lucio announced, tone almost as if he was asking permission. Normally, she'd be against the notion of teammates wandering alone while on a mission, but she wasn't one to complain this time around. Satya only gave a nod to show she comprehended, watching as he turned away and left through the lobby door. She gave a sigh of relief as the room became silent. That is, until loud banging sounds reverberated from outside. She closed the book with a bit more roughness than intended, discarding it to the side as she contemplated on what she could do with her time that didn't require concentration. Satya could think of nothing.

Fortunately, luck was on her side as Mei and Tracer returned from the shopping trip, their arms full of bags containing pre-smoked meats and side vegetables suitable for grilling. The climatologist wore an expression of disappointment at having going over their budget slightly, but she was relieved to find good deals on the meats nonetheless. Apparently, she had intended on an alternative if the cost had been too high. Junkrat was oblivious to this concern however as he hovered over the package of smoked meats, drool beginning to form at the corner of his mouth. He was promptly pushed away by Mei before any of the saliva could escape onto the groceries, much to his displeasure.

"You'll have to wait until it's cooked," she scolded him, placing and hand on her hip with a stern expression. The smaller Junker grumbled under his breath before returning to his buddy's side. Mei smirked triumphantly and stored the ingredients in the lodge's cooler, with the prior permission of the lodge keeper of course. Tracer was outside beginning to set up the barbeque pit when she glanced around curiously, short-cropped brunette hair swishing at the motion.

"Hey, where's Lucio at? Is he in his room?" asked the Brit. Satya was assisting her by setting up the grill when she replied that he had gone out to sight-see. Tracer paused briefly and tapped her chin in thought. Eichenwalde itself offered little to see, save for the historical ruins that were being overrun by vegetation. Knowing the Brazilian to not be fond of old-fashioned scenery, she could only imagine he was either practicing football or performing trick moves with his roller skates around the village. She shrugged her shoulders, breaking away from her thoughts to finish preparing the pit.

Little did she know, she was only half correct. The DJ was wall-riding in an empty alleyway nearby, enjoying the breeze that rushed by as he glided on the stone walls. While he had gone out to get some fresh air, he'd had other intentions to get away from the lodge. Primarily, he'd gone to scout through the checkpoints they'd be passing during the escorts, some of the passages being closed off to the public in preparation for the trip. Lucio checked every route that he was allowed to go through, making note of those that could be used as escape or ambush during his passes. Normally, he'd just go with the flow of things, but he was aware of the lack of security and the possibility of trouble arising during the escort of the payload. Although, he'd also chosen to break away from the lodge to give the new recruit some extra space. The Brazilian hadn't done it on the sole basis of his promise, but also because he'd noticed her disgruntled expression of him being in the same room as her. Originally, he'd thought that she wouldn't be bothered, but it occurred to him that she only tolerated his presence if others were around as well. Lucio didn't return until two hours later, apologizing to Mei for his absence as she began preparations to cook.

"Oh no worries. I figured if something happened, you would have contacted us on the communicators anyway," the climatologist replied with a laugh. She'd known his tendencies to go out and get some exercise, so she had no real concerns. Nonetheless, he apologized again for his tardiness. Truly, he hadn't planned on being out for so long.

As everyone did their own thing, Satya had begun to feel a little out of place. Determined to be productive, she grouped with Mei in the kitchens, offering to prepare the vegetables. With appreciation, the Chinese woman asked for her to cube the potatoes and peppers and to shuck the corn. Getting down to work, Symmetra unconsciously peeled and cut the potatoes with focus, unaware of the time that was slipping by as she did so. Once she had finished the potatoes and retrieved the corn, she realized she was left alone in the kitchen as Mei had taken the bundle of smoked meats outside to the pit. Through a nearby window, she could see the climatologist juggling with pouring in the charcoal while swatting away both Junkers' greedy hands that were reaching for the meats. By the time Satya had finished shucking the corn and washing the vegetables, the grill was hot and ready for the food.

It took no time at all for the food to cook, despite some distractions coming in the form of the mischievous Junkrat. Mei caught him on a couple of occasions as he tried to sneak an explosion into the fire as a prank. His antics almost cost the food as it was almost overcooked, only because Mei was too preoccupied with stopping him while trying to cook. He was finally chased away when she threatened to freeze him as a time out. Tracer's quick wit helped during this process, both to catch the burning food and Junkrat in the act. With luck, there were no serious casualties. As expected, most of the barbequed meat went to Roadhog and his unruly companion as both picked away the vegetables immediately. Though, the larger of the two would not touch any pork related meat. Not that Satya had to complain. She preferred to eat the vegetables instead, gathering only a mere portion of the meat on her own plate. Had Mei and Tracer not thought ahead and bought enough for the greedy duo and the rest of the team, there would be some choice words said.

Satya normally wouldn't take a liking to this sort of feast, but once the food landed on her palate, she had a different opinion. The meat was tender and nearly melted in her mouth, chicken and brisket smoked in some fashion, coupled with the sweet, mouth-watering flavors of the corn and the smoky tangs of the seasoned peppers and potatoes. All were seasoned perfectly without having too much or too little of spice, though Mei expressed a bit of discomfort as a kick of spice landed on her own tongue. Some of the flavors even reminded the Indian of the cuisine of her home country. Their group decided to eat out on the patio just outside the lodge's main entrance, enjoying the early summer breeze and rose color tones of the sunset. As she finished her meal, Satya's eyes darted to the stars that were beginning to peek through the veil of night ascending upon them. Rising from her seat, she told Mei that she'd take a shower and retire for the night, to which the climatologist agreed would be a good idea for all of the team to follow. After arguing for a few minutes, the Chinese woman finally urged the Junkers to go to bed early as well, though not without asking their help in cleaning up first.

While they didn't necessarily have to begin the mission early in the morning, Satya found herself to be the first one awake and packed for the trip. She left the room as quietly as she could, opting to give her roommates a few more moments of peaceful sleep before the time they agreed on waking. Her feet carried her into the lounge where she took a seat and sipped on coffee proffered from the lodge's kitchen. It was nothing alike to the fresh coffee she was fond of back when she was part of the Vishkar, causing her to involuntarily scrunch her nose up at its bland flavor. Satya reveled in the peaceful quiet she had to herself, the moment giving her enough time to prepare her gear for the mission. She had just finished programming the settings on her photon gun and sentry orbs, forcing herself to swallow the last of the contents in her mug, when the others joined her after waking. They had gathered their belongings and showered, with the exception of the Junkers who both seemed to have bathed in oil if anything. Making sure everyone was ready, Mei issued the command to head out to the payload's location.

 **A/N:** If you can figure out why I titled this story the way I did, then you're awesome. (Hint: It's not **just** because of the plot btw). If you leave a review of your guesses, I'll reveal my answer to you ;) Also, in future chapters, I'll try to include more Winston dialogue. He is the new Overwatch commander after all. I still have 76 as commander, but he's not exactly the boss anymore. He's just in charge of recruits and the more vital missions.


	5. Chapter V: Rough Beginnings

**Chapter V: Rough Beginning**

The team met at the payload in an hour, all goods secured to the vehicle and kept locked away. Rather than the battering hammer that was carried at one point, the payload consisted of armory to send to a local base of defense units. The base in question was located just past and below the cliff where the historical site of Eichenwalde's keep could be found, a proud memory to former crusaders like Reinhardt himself. Even though it was abandoned and in poor shape now, it was still a place that inspired awe and respect. They were greeted by a handful of the Eichenwalde tradesmen who had secured the goods and appointed a driver before handing the reins over to Overwatch's group. Grouping up onto the bed of the vehicle, they began their escort.

For the first stretch of the trip, no obstacles were encountered. They passed by a few stores, all of which were closed down - bakeries and antiques shops alike - while travelling the stone road. The path used to be a main street for tourists to pass through to see the glory that once was the crusader's home, but now it was closed off to public due to recent criminal activities. Before the recall, Reinhardt had dealt with the majority of attackers, decreasing the number of casualties considerably, but some vagabonds were still loose and avoiding authorities. Even as Overwatch's escort strayed from the main path and took lesser known routes as much as the payload allowed, they were still vulnerable to any kinds of attack. That's why everyone kept their guards up. Well… almost everyone.

The payload had just passed the last store on the small square before approaching a large, sealed gate made of sturdy oak when Junkrat decided to lounge back in the bed and take a nap. Mei sent a sharp glare his direction, not having any of it. If they were not in the middle of an important mission, she wouldn't normally be bothered. Her gun raised immediately, her finger on the trigger set for snow accumulation rather than her ice cycles. At the end of the barrel, the snow gathered into a ball that was aimed right for the Junker's head. Usually, being the bodyguard of the obnoxious pyromaniac, Roadhog would have intervened right then, if only because he was still being paid in half the goods that they still secretly stole from time to time. Instead, he just sat and watched the events unfold with secret amusement hidden behind his mask. He had to admit he enjoyed seeing the loudmouth being punished every once in a while. Junkrat needed a lesson or two.

Once the snowball had grown to Mei's liking, she sent the projectile into the Junker's face without a moment of remorse. Her victim shot up from his momentary slumber, both alarm and anger apparent on his face. Shaking off his initial shock caused by the sudden cold bite, he glowered in her direction to which she returned the glare. "Oi, what do you think you're doing?" he yelled at her, wiping away the melted snowball with his gloved hand. Apparently the projectile did nothing to put out his singed hair tips, much to his relief.

She returned by holstering her gun, its purpose fulfilled, and placing her hands on her hips. "I could say the same to you. Who told you to lay down while on the job?" The two of them traded vocal blows to each other, Junkrat trying to defend his free rights and Mei arguing that he does this on nearly every mission. A single, low grunt or snort could be heard from the larger Junker, whether it was a laugh or his usual heavy breathing, no one was quite certain. He certainly wouldn't let anyone know whether he was amused or not. Lucio and Tracer watched the argument with mild interest, nudging each other and placing bets on who would win. Both of their wagers were placed on Mei being the victor.

Meanwhile, Symmetra looked on with a blank face, too stunned for words herself. Her mouth would be hanging open if she didn't think of it as an unsightly expression. She knew Junkrat to be the unruly type, that much was a given on the very first day she met him, but she was appalled that he'd even consider slacking on the job. This was a group mission, after all. The team was only as strong as the weakest member, and if he spent the whole time lazing around, then nothing would get done properly. What if they had been attacked? Would he just not lend a hand at all? The likelihood of that answer being yes was high. Her gaze then turned to Mei, slightly amazed at how quick the climatologist was to anger. Satya always found the Chinese woman to be shy and reserved, save for around the few people whose company she enjoyed. She'd never seen Mei raise her voice at anyone before. What she didn't know was that this type of feud was the norm between the two whenever outside of the base.

Noticing Satya's expression, Tracer leaned over from her position next to her. "This happens a lot, love. Don't worry about a thing. See, Mei's got it all covered." The Brit pointed an index finger their direction where both Junkrat and the climatologist were reaching a reluctant truce after minutes of bickering. Fawkes gave up on arguing after a while, but not without grumbling out a few more words and sending Mei the middle finger when she wasn't looking. Lena and Lucio sent grins to each other, pleased about their bets playing out to their favor. As if there were any doubts about losing their wagers. They have been around the two long enough to know who the victor would be every time. Each time Mei won, it usually included bribing the Junker with food or money to get him to oblige. Every once in a while, she'd have to threaten punishment either by a frigid time out in an ice block or by Winston when they returned to base. The punishments issued from the gorilla would normally include janitorial duty, which the two Junkers already had included in their regimen of "community service." The lanky Junker would argue that servicing Overwatch was not what he'd called community service, but, unbeknownst to him, Winston was being quite lenient with the punishment. If only because he couldn't really trust either Junker with any other kind of service without risking important equipment or paperwork. This time, Junkrat decided to simply give up while he still had the chance, much to everyone's disbelief.

He was a far cry away from cured from his radiation – a painstakingly long research really, as radiation wasn't exactly reversible – but they had to admit that he's definitely made progress in some ways since being involved in Overwatch. Despite his destructive and chaotic personality, Junkrat had another side that was very rarely seen. Usually, only Roadhog would be the recipient of his less aggressive nature. That is, until recently. Even though he was more willing to change his behavior with the promise of a high reward, he had been found conversing with others in a more civil manner. Whether this alteration meant anything yet or not was still up in the air, but there was no doubt that it was there. What was better news was that he actually proved himself useful for specific missions, most having to do with defense of payloads and points where Overwatch stationed their bases from time to time.

The payload paused momentarily to have everything checked by the security personal at the gate, their first checkpoint. An hour had passed since the start of the escort without anyone actually being aware of it. Though the driver was in a hurry to transport the goods to safe keeping once again, he couldn't really rush and risk the goods being damaged, so their journey was conducted at a rather leisurely and careful pace. Another half hour was spent going through the meticulous process of checking the payload in case any bugs slipped through the security system. Even though they had yet to encounter any issues, it was protocol that needed to be followed for every checkpoint. The group spent this time stretching and moving their limbs before the trip started once more.

They crossed through the checkpoint to be greeted by the rustic view of Eichenwalde's alleys and keep. Though now abandoned, the structures towered with pride and sturdy stones, looming over the cobblestone street and casting shadows about. Even taller towers could be seen from one end of a bridge to another. The bridge itself was perfectly built in a powerful arc, durable enough to hold much weight and to withstand weathering over the years. Truth be told, it had been rebuilt ten years prior due to it being blown down during the crisis, so it was still relatively new. Satya couldn't help but marvel at the primitive yet ingenious architecture designs. Everything was aligned perfectly and each served its purpose fully without flaw, with the exception of the structures with gaping holes that had yet to be restored. The truest beauty lay on the cliff just past the bridge. She had never before witnessed Eichenwalde's keep until today, and she was not at all disappointed by the sight.

Her awe-struck trance was broken instantly when the driver of the payload swerved abruptly to avoid an explosive trap that had been set off along the road just before the bridge. She hung tight to the door grip on the side of the bed as the direction of force changed, her vision blinded by the sudden burst of flames that the driver had narrowly avoided. The others fared no better, clinging for dear life to the truck's frame or else they'd risk being thrown out of the vehicle altogether. As they came to a halt, with the electric engine of the vehicle buzzing in annoyance at the sudden stop, the group took a moment to collect their bearings.

"Hooley Dooley, what a wild ride," cried Junkrat, scrambling to gather all of his loosened grenades in hand before they were set off. However, he seemed to be laughing all the while doing so, undoubtedly entertained by the thought. His statement was cut short as he noticed the flat gazes thrown his way, everyone's mouths tight in fine lines. It was then that he realized what they were thinking. His expression darkened. "What, you thought I did that? Mates, my explosives can do far worse than that, believe me."

Roadhog was about to defend his partner's position by giving a nod of his head when he was forced to change action at the sound of a gun firing. The larger Junker had just pulled Fawkes down by the straps of his rip-tire before a bullet grazed passed where he was sitting, the projectile piercing through one side of the bed and nearly exiting the other side. More bullets showered where that one came from. Instinctively, all members went on the defensive. They jumped out of the payload with haste, crouching behind the other side from where the attackers were firing.

"Is everyone okay?" Mei asked first, checking for injuries caused by stray bullets. For the most part, each member remained untouched, save for two bullets that grazed across Roadhog's larger body. He shrugged it off. So long as they didn't hit anything vital, small scratches were nothing for him to worry over. "How many are there?"

Tracer motioned for them to give her a second to count, taking a peak over the edge of the payload. Her chocolate eyes flickered behind orange shaded goggles before she ducked back down before she was spotted, a flashy feat that was common practice for her. "I can see maybe fifteen, but I don't know if there are any hiding anywhere else. Looks like they stopped shooting for now too, but they're closing the distance," she announced. Sometimes, being a regular scout had its merit. She added, "I don't see any marks of associations."

Mei furrowed her brow at the last statement. While it was good news they weren't up against Talon operatives, not knowing their enemies' identities posed a different kind of problem. They could easily be face to face with common bandits or they may have encountered another dangerous organization altogether. The Overwatch group would have no way of knowing what the enemy has in its arsenal or how to counter. Not to mention it wasn't her place to allow casualties on foreign enemies, in the case if they were merely desperate citizens. While it was a rarity for locals to attack a business protected by Overwatch, it was not unheard of and had been known to happen a few times in the past. She finally decided that they should go about a full defense until they could gain further information. With any luck, there'd be few to no major incidents and the culprits would be captured. "Alright, defend the payload at all costs. Roadhog and I will hold the frontlines. Tracer, Junkrat, and Symmetra can counter their attacks and incapacitate them if they get too close. Fawkes, don't go out of control and Lucio, stay close."

"Got it," they all agreed. Satya replied with a little bit less enthusiasm than her teammates however. She didn't expect a conflict quite so sudden, and maybe she was still shaken from the blast. Maybe that would explain her sudden nerves. Mei and her partner jumped up from their refuge to face the attackers approaching from across the bridge as the rest of their group made their way around to prepare for a fight. The climatologist was first to act, pulling up her cryo-gun before the enemy had time to react. Her weapon fired a massive heap of ice in a linear path, the ice collecting on the ground before the group, crystalizing and scaling in size until a wall obstructed their oppressor's path. Any bullets that were shot after Mei's appearance were lost in the thick layers of the wall. The climatologist nodded to the larger Junker nearby, urging him to proceed with their usual strategy.

In most of her operations in defense, she had been teamed up with both of the Junkers and had learned how their abilities could be utilized best. So far, they have been cooperative with her directing. As for this case, Roadhog took the sign and uncoiled the chain hook that was attached to his belt. Grasping the weapon with his left hand, he threw it forward with fearsome expertise. Its links rattled heavily as it sailed the short distance, finding purchase upon a startled foe who had just crawled through a small hole that had finally been created in the wall. The man let out a terrified yelp as he was roughly tugged forward to face the hulking Junker. Before, in his criminal days, Roadhog wouldn't have bothered keeping anyone alive with this technique, no exceptions. However, now he had to force himself not to continue that old habit. Ever since being restricted within Overwatch, he was coerced to refrain from that act or else he would return to isolated containment. The only time it was allowed and had occurred was when strictly necessary, when the enemy was beyond an endangerment to oneself and others. Not that the Junker would have cared either way whether he returned to prison or not. It wasn't the worst place he's ever been. Though, he secretly had to admit that he was coming to terms ever slowly to his newer life. He had no intention to relinquish this luxury. At least not just yet.

His right fist connected with the nose of the man, causing a stream of blood to fly out and knocking the man out cold. Rutledge grinned gruesomely behind his mask. Even without the need of killing, he still enjoyed bloodshed. That much would never change. He did this a few times, picking out a few of the attackers that trickled out of the widening hole, before the wall melted and crumbled away completely. Each of his targets were disarmed and bound near the payload. Their driver had already sent out a call for reinforcements to pick up the criminals and provide backup if necessary. Though the extra men weren't expected to arrive for roughly an hour, Mei let out a sigh of relief knowing they wouldn't have to hold out for too terribly long. Their group was capable, but even they had their limits sometimes. Any more than three hours would be practically impossible for them unless they were able to hold a more secure location, like in the alleyways or something. She was thankful for Lucio filling her in on possible escape routes when he returned to the lodge yesterday. Her gun only had enough resources for two more walls and several shots and she had no intention of using it all up at once, just in case. Roadhog had done his job lowering the enemy's numbers. They were now only faced ten versus six. Now it was time to bring the fight closer to them.

She couldn't say she wasn't expecting it as there was really no way of knowing, but Mei was momentarily caught off guard when Tracer called out an approaching group from underneath the nearby ramparts. An ambush, no doubt about it. She was aware that the enemy could possible use the same routes she was contemplating on using. Whoever these people were, they were certainly desperate to get their hands on the payload's shipment. She chanced a glance behind her, catching the gaze of both the Brit and Junkrat and motioning for them to commence the next order of the defense. Fawkes giddily pulled out the tattered rucksack he carried with him, the bag making the most ungodly and cringe-worthy sound as its contents rattled inside at the jerking motion. He unceremoniously emptied it out on the cobblestone behind the payload, revealing his unhealthy collection of steel bear traps and, wouldn't you guess it, more explosives. The traps were set at a rather skillful rate, equally as frightening as his partner in his knowledge with the dangerous tools. There was absolutely no question in her mind that the traps had the ability to take a leg or two, but Mei hoped that they would at least serve their purpose in blocking the new group's procession before it came to that.

Where the traps did not cover, Tracer was there to flank the enemy and incapacitate them in the same manner that Roadhog had. She fared poorly against large groups, but her strength lies in confusing and isolating her opponents. The brit checked through her chronal accelerator's settings before engaging, especially cautious of her own limitations. She could spare several short blinks and a couple of recalls before the device would need a cooldown. More than enough. Tracer jot through a gap in the line of traps, pulse pistols at the ready. As planned, she had the enemy's group split in utter bewilderment at her rapid movements, desperate to stop her despite their leader's better judgment. She had several disarmed and knocked out in no time, only having needed to use recall once as a few somehow managed to corner her. Not a single shot was needed from her pistols as she was already aware of Mei's intentions.

Junkrat was not nearly as reserved as his larger companion, not in the slightest, but he did have his own merits. His explosives were a force to be feared, and he knew exactly how much to utilize against the enemy without taking a single life. They were designed more for breaking into highly secured locations after all. Though this was the case, he was not against using violence to his advantage and he had earned his own fair share of history in manslaughter. Luckily, the only weapon in his arsenal that would rein total fatality was the rip-tire strapped to his back. The contraption may have looked nothing more than a tacky decorative, an old-fashioned rubber tire with spikes adorning the tread, but its dangers lie inside. Within the elastic exoskeleton was a load of shrapnel that was fully capable of causing the enemy to bleed to death if not instant elimination. Whenever the rip-tire was activated, the battle scene was never pretty. It was something that caused concern on every mission, no matter who Junkrat was assigned to. However, their saving grace came from the fact that the Junker was limited on how many to use. It was a last ditch weapon if any.

Instead, he took the hub cap from the tire, of which he had tinkered with and made another kind of artillery. A concussion bomb, or so he called it. Typically used for blowing large holes into walls and causing debris obstruction – a perfect tool for robbing a bank and making a getaway specifically – he tossed it into the air like a disc instead, its trigger flipped out as if a pocket knife in his left hand. As soon as the mine landed on the ground, he jabbed his thumb onto the red button and cackled madly. A couple of enemies were launched ten feet in the air, yelling as they fell haphazardly to the ground with thuds. One unlucky soul collided head first into the stone wall of the ramparts. The concussion bomb had done its job appropriate to its title. Any enemy in its general range had momentarily gone blind and deaf from its blast. They were disarmed and bound by Lena who had blinked by.

Symmetra watched in silent amazement at the events that just transpired. True, the defensive strategy was far from flawless and pretty, but the Overwatch team got the job done without a single mishap on their part. She's never seen such coordination, and she wasn't expecting cooperation from either of the Junkers at all. Their skills were pure terror, to say the least. Truly intimidating. Though, that didn't mean those skills couldn't be used for better purposes. Satya was beginning to understand now what Mei had meant in their earlier conversation when she said they both had their advantages. Her thoughts were soon interrupted by a nearby shout. She could hardly process anything at all as she was being roughly pulled to the side by her arm, snapping back to reality as a bullet grazed her cheek. Her vision focused on the face before her, suddenly reminding her of old memories she'd rather forget.

"Hey, snap out of it!" Lucio gave her arm a firm shake before releasing his hold. His freed hand switched over to his sonic amplifier to twist a couple of knobs. The cut on her cheek was beginning to fade away without her knowledge. Low, droning music was synthesized with biomedic properties, similar to that of Dr. Ziegler's caduceus staff technology. Prior to his infamy across the globe, he hadn't been gifted with it. He had only played music to uplift spirits in trying times. Once he had his name spread around, he was confronted by a select few doctors who were interested in his dream to heal people with music. They had helped to modify his gear so that he could achieve that ability. His lifelong ambition had become a reality. However, shortly after joining Overwatch, his healing was greatly amplified by Dr. Ziegler who had a higher affinity in the field of medicine. She had upgraded his gear so that he'd be able to assist his teammates more easily.

Lucio momentarily spared a glance to his fellow associates who were still locked in battle. From his perspective, he could see that they still seemed to be faring well, save for a few scratches. Roadhog had taken the brunt of most projectiles, but his biotic inhalers helped to remedy that, or else Lucio would have gone over in a jiff. The DJ was swift and used to mobile support more than anything, but he knew when he was needed to stay near the payload. Whatever happens, it must not be abandoned for a second, or else the enemy would triumph. Lucio socketed an odd canister into the amplifier before speaking again. "Heads up. We've got company."

True enough, a small number of attackers were headed towards them, slipping through as the rest of the Overwatch team were occupied. She hadn't even realized they were closing in. Combat was still far from being her strong suit, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little bit overwhelmed by the amount of enemies they'd been faced with during this mission. In her experience of battle, Satya's only had to face a handful of opponents, none of which had ambushed quite like this. Never with as much noise and unexpected chaos as this. It almost made her nauseous. She wasn't naïve. She'd known that not all fights were strategized and easy. Her experience just didn't include those kinds as of yet. Upon seeing the approaching enemies, she reached for her own weapon but hesitated just before grabbing it, her hand wavering over the holstered gun. What was making her so nervous?

Lucio caught the action out of the corner of his eye, though he kept his primary focus on the enemies. He wouldn't risk another shot being fired at them while he wasn't paying attention. His fingers went to twisting another knob and lowering a switch, causing the music to shift and beats to soften. It was similar to the music he used to heal. In fact, it was the very same music he played at most concerts – synaesthesia auditiva. The soft, low tones was created to relax the nerves, lower racing heartbeats and control breathing. Its effects were similar in nature to meditation, or "chilling out" as he would call it, and has been quite useful during stressing missions. Lucio was no expert, and his personality would never allow him to claim to be one, but he recognized the hesitation his teammate displayed. This would not be the first time he's seen someone anxious or frightened during a battle, though most cases had included a third party member caught in the crossfire such as their driver who was still huddled behind the payload with them. He saw her tense frame start to loosen, her hand no longer shaking, and he allowed a small smile begin to form, glad that his plan seemed to work.

Satya was aware that her change in demeanor had to do with his music, as much as she hated to admit to it. There was nothing more she wanted than to ignore him and the noise altogether, but there was no denying that he had helped her, and knowing this had infuriated her at the same time. She was frustrated with him, but she was also disappointed in herself for allowing his music to affect her in such a way. It was manipulative, as she had no control over her own actions. It had rounded and riled up people to rebel against Vishkar, against her company. She had every right to put an end to his music now. The sonic amplifier was there in sight, easily obtainable from where she was at. It did not belong in the hands of this ruffian. Symmetra shifted her gaze back at the approaching enemies who were now only a few feet away. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. No, now was not the time, and for her to allow herself to be distracted from the mission by such a thought was absolutely foolish. She had sat still for far too long, watching from the sidelines. The main reason for that was because she was unsure of how she could be of assistance to her group. Close combat was her specialty, as she had no means of long range attack other than the photon orbs that were easily avoidable. As their attackers were closing in, they were within her territory now.

There were only four, not really a number to be concerned over, though it was enough for one person to feel a little overwhelmed. As she wasn't sure of whether the DJ could fight or not, she couldn't count on him to lend a hand. Not to mention, she didn't want to have to rely on him as much as possible. Satya would need to set a trap of some sort to take care of their enemies. She released her gun from its holster and observed her surroundings. Out in the open, they were at a disadvantage for her abilities. Placing hidden sentries was out of question, as there was nowhere to conceal them and they would be destroyed immediately, and they could only be used as a last resort in their position. She could only place them on the payload itself, so that was one option at the least. A teleporter would have no use here, so a shield generator would be a better choice, but it could only be used to help protect her allies, not the payload itself. There certainly wasn't any sort of locking mechanism to keep the enemies away from the goods. The only way for her to fend off their attackers is to counter with her photon gun and create a trap of her own, but for them to fall into the trap, she would need to plan accordingly and carefully. A simple mistake could not be allowed.

Her index finger switched to the photon gun's primary trigger as the first person fell within five yards from her. She jumped into action, weaving away from the payload and veering off the left of the group. As anticipated, they followed her action, drawing their weapons to fire. Satya rolled and ducked nimbly, easily avoiding shots that were sent her way. Her left hand flicked from the wrist as she discretely released a miniscule device on the ground. It was hardly noticeable, being the size of a shotgun shell, but Lucio happened to catch the movement and wondered what purpose it would serve. He watched with some intrigue as she continued to do this until she had dropped eight, each object being completely ignored by the attackers, surprisingly. Maybe they hadn't noticed. The DJ could only take a guess that maybe they were timed explosives similar to Junkrat's tools, but the devices looked way too small to send out as powerful of blasts. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't at least a little bit curious as to what her abilities were. No one in their group knew for sure, just that she was deemed suited for defense operations by both Winston and Morrison. As she had yet to return any fire, his focus was directed to the gun she had in hand, his eyebrows furrowing. The weapon wasn't too far off in design from any other firearm he's seen so far – styles in guns have a wide variety in this day and age after all – but it looked vaguely familiar and he couldn't quite put his finger on why. It wasn't until she began her counter that he finally comprehended.

Satya charged at them, going in for the attack. As she applied pressure to the trigger, a thick, steady stream of hard-light connected with one of her opponents, sapping them of their energy. The person fell down to their knees, unwillingly letting go of their own weapon. It wasn't until that person was unable to move that she switched targets. A shot was fired at her as she worked on weakening her second enemy. She flicked her left wrist again, drawing three fingers together delicately as she would in one of her dances. The bullet was absorbed by a photon barrier that she constructed with this motion. Symmetra downed her second target with ease and shifted once again, now face to face with only two attackers. She would have felt more relieved and confident if it weren't for only possessing enough energy left over for one more opponent. After exhausting the next, she would be forced to reload her weapon, which in turn would give the remaining enemy a chance. Satya had to think of a strategy to protect herself when that happens. The trap was laid, but she had yet to round the remaining forces within its range before her first two targets regained their strength. She'd have to act fast in this time limit.

Lucio watched on in silent shock, too stunned for words. He mentally kicked himself for not realizing sooner where he had seen the weapon she wielded. Photon projectors were commonplace for specific hard-light users, though rare were the users. Not to mention, she was no average handler, that much he had come to comprehend. Sparing a glance at the biotic arm she had, he recognized the rate and method of which the shield was created, having seen the action performed a few times some years back. It all made sense now. By the way she had been acting when they first met, he should have known that there was a reason for it. The DJ was a statue of mixed emotions in that moment, his face twisted into something unrecognizable and highly unusual for his personality. Feelings he didn't even know he still had begun to bubble up, both fear and anger rising at once. He knew why he felt the way he did, but couldn't understand why he was unable to control the emotions from leaking out. Memories that he wished to forget had come rushing back to his mind. Here he was facing someone who'd obviously come from Vishkar, and he was suppressing the urge to lash out at her for what the company has done to him and his favela. Lucio was only able to compose himself after a moment due to the fact that he was still on a mission and he couldn't afford to ruin their victory. Not only that, but there was no evidence yet on whether she was a Vishkar supporter or not. He gave her that benefit of the doubt for the time being at least.

The DJ refocused on the battle taking place. After he had learned her identity, he was able to pick up on the plan she had laid out. He finally understood the importance of the devices she had set. It was clever to say the least, but it was also risky as there was no telling how the enemy would act. Getting them to convene would be tricky as they could turn the tables on her, surrounding her on different directions instead. She was lucky to have gotten two within her trap, but Lucio saw her begin to hesitate once more, her gaze switching between the two attackers who were beginning a circle to either side of her. No matter which she attacked, she would receive damage from the other in the process. There was not enough time to weaken one before the other attacked. Not unless… Yeah, that could work. Lucio ran his fingers over the switches on his amplifier, cranking the bass knob as far as it would go. The deep soundwave was more of a last ditch effort than anything, but it would work in this scenario. He leapt from his position, rolling up to her with haste. When he approached, he yelled out, "Get behind me and cover your ears!"

Perplexed, Satya barely had a moment to process his words before he skidded around in front of her, his sonic amplifier raised before him. Instead of being pointed towards either foe, it was directed equidistant between the two. He made sure to judge his distance accurately as he did so. Too close would result in the enemy being pushed the wrong way, and too far would probably not even reach them at all. She had just raised her palms to her ears in confusion when he pulled the trigger and an explosive "BOOM" could be heard. With her ears covered, it didn't affect her as much, but she could still feel the vibrations shaking her to the core at the massive sound. Their enemies were knocked back from the force, just far enough to where both were within range of her trap. Before her opportunity could slip by, she flicked both wrists, angling her arms in dance as she activated the devices. Linear beams shot out from each one, each connecting to another and fanning out until a hard-light cube was made. A prison that couldn't be passed through until it was deactivated by the user. Once all four of their opponents were secured, she allowed herself to rest. The fight wasn't nearly as draining as she's had before, but Satya was a bit anxious of whether her plan would work or not. If the enemy had any clue of the devices' utilities, then they wouldn't have let her continue, and she would have certainly been risking her life on a gamble, strategized or not.

Lucio watched as the first two were beginning to rouse from their positions on the ground. He was no stranger to the workings of hard-light technology, but he'd thought it only to be used to build structures and select tools similar in nature to the trap. Never in his life had he witnessed it utilized as a weapon. It's part of the reason why his heist in Vishkar was successful despite his lack of gear back then. Because of such an event, it was likely that the company had started creating the arms for security purposes. While the gun didn't seem necessarily used to take lives, he couldn't help but feel cautious. The DJ managed a smile on his face before he turned to her, a feat that he'd usually not have to force when approaching others. "Not too bad for your first mission. Great plan there," he offered a compliment with a thumbs up. Lucio would be lying if he claimed to not have any feelings of doubt about her, but he did his best to be considerate and supportive of his teammates at all costs. It wasn't difficult to do as positivity was his first nature.

Meanwhile, Satya returned his acknowledgment with a blank stare, now even more confused. She issued a nod towards him as if in thanks before turning away back towards the payload, her mind trying to make sense of the awkward situation now. Surely, he was aware of who she was now, or at least had some idea to her past affiliation with Vishkar. There was no way he wouldn't be aware, having been made world famous for putting an end to the corporation. Then why? Why was he acting as if ignorant to that fact? He was treating her just like he would with any of the other Overwatch members, as if she was still considered a comrade. She started to wonder if this was that same ruffian or if she had been wrong the whole time. Or maybe he was playing some kind of trick on her now that he knew. Before a storm started to brew in her mind, her thoughts were interrupted by the rest of their teammates reforming.

Tracer was first to arrive as per usual. The Brit approached the two with an award-winning smile and high-fived with Lucio. "Just saw what happened there as I was making my way back. That was brilliant!" she exclaimed. Unlike her forced acceptance of the compliment from the DJ, Satya's thanks was genuine though formal. Had she not been trained in modesty, she may have blushed from embarrassment at receiving it. Mei also sent her commendations as she joined with both Junkers on her heel. Just as the group reconvened, their backup could be seen travelling up the cobblestone path.

The small group of soldiers rallied the remaining, incapacitated forces, snuffing out whoever had escaped somehow. Some of their attackers did manage to slip away, but the majority had been caught, not far from the scene, and secured in cuffs, including those that Satya had released from her trap. Mei checked in with the officials for a few moments to describe all that had happened and to be sure their escort was secure enough to complete the mission. Though the payload vehicle itself sustained a little bit of damage from the first shots, it was able to continue on and its cargo remained intact. Once they were given the okay, the Overwatch group loaded up onto the vehicle and their driver took off. For the remainder of their escort, the trip went smoothly in a matter of speaking. Truthfully, they faced no other obstacles, but the drive itself had gone quiet and long. Everyone had grown a tad exhausted from the skirmish that ended up taking an hour and a half, so they were resting up and tending to their equipment peacefully. Mei didn't even bother disrupting Fawke's nap this time around as she was too tired to even care, and they were really just a couple of kilometers from their destination anyway.

Silence was a stranger mostly to the duo who were the most energetic on this mission. In Tracer's case, maybe not so much. She was used to adjusting to her teammates' whims and had even shared a few quiet tea times with Captain Amari and the doctor every once in a while. Winding down was no issue to her whatsoever. Even now, she sat propped with back against the payload's frame, both elbows bent out over its edge. Her eyes were closed as she reveled in the feeling of the wind blowing through her short-cropped hair. It reminded her of races she'd run and the time she had flown in a plane for the first time. The aircraft was similar in style to a dust cropper in which the pilot's seat was open to the air. It was only a fleeting moment and the only time she had flown in that sort of plane before beginning her training on other crafts, but Lena much enjoyed the wind whipping through her hair and around her goggles, enjoyed the fresh and crisp scent that carried through. With everywhere she travelled, she got to experience a new atmosphere. Each one gave her something to look forward to, to make memories, and most importantly to give her some kind of ground to remind her that she's alive. It's funny. It's such a simple thing really and may seem a little silly to say out loud, but she'd take anything to break away from her constant fear of returning to a temporal void. Even with Winston's scientific aid and assurance, the fear still chewed her up from time to time. One would never guess it from a glance of her hyperactive personality, however.

Meanwhile, the quietness was not such a common thing to the world-famous DJ. Sure, he still had his headphones on and connected to his ears, the beats lightly leaking through from the ear cushions, but his focus was on nothing in particular. Wordlessly, he gazed off into the distance, even though others were used to his cheery conversations. Ordinarily, he'd always have something to talk about. Needless to say, long trips of silence from him was definitely not of the norm. His comrades noticed this when their journey started up again, curious as to the change of attitude. When it seemed to them that he was deep in thought, they decided to leave it alone for the time being, repressing any questions that came to their minds. Sometimes people just need a moment to themselves, even Lucio himself. Not paying any mind to the changing landscape or their approach to their destination, he didn't even realize he had zoned out. For the remainder of the trip, his mind was a bit of a jumbled mess, though not extraordinarily so. He played out the scene of their former skirmish over and over in his head, completely at lost on what to do with the newfound information he had gotten out of it.

There was absolutely no doubt in his mind as to Symmetra's affiliation, but he had several question still unanswered and he was unsure of how to breach them or if he should even attempt it. Lucio was determined to find out whether she had any lingering connections with Vishkar, but at the same time, he didn't want to risk losing any cooperation in case of future missions. However and whenever he would come across his answers, he'd have to do so tactfully. Perhaps he could bring it up casually. Or maybe he could wait and observe, or have someone else ask in his stead. For now, he'll leave the matter be until he had more time to think it over.

The payload slowed to a halt as they finally reached the final checkpoint. Everyone breathed out sighs of relief as their mission was coming to a close. Overall, the day went by with a breeze, certainly not the best case scenario but not the worst either. Had their predicament been any worse for wear, the escort may have taken up to two days. On the horizon, the sun was retiring and giving away to night as the stars faintly began to peek through the sky. As the leader of the group, Mei had to go through one last check with the security that was receiving the goods. Reports were given and papers signed before she was finally relinquished of her duty as moderator between the two groups. Her role as leader would not be renounced until their return to base, but she did consider passing it over to Lena for when they prepared for their trip back. She was about to open her mouth to say something when she was interrupted by a rather loud gurgle came from the hulking Junker. Her chestnut gaze switched over to him with hidden contempt before she sighed. Mei honestly wasn't surprised anymore.

They were approached by the squad leader of their employer who offered to pay for lodgings and meals for one more day before they would depart. As their mission ended earlier than expected, the climatologist wasn't one to decline. They'd be waiting for the airship to return anyway. Both Junkers were more than happy to take up the offer of free… well anything for that matter, but food especially. She nodded to the woman and gathered her own team to be escorted to the inn. The building wasn't too much to gawk at. Though, being stationed in the more local area of Eichenwalde, it was more modern in style compared to that in which they stayed in the first night. It looked more like an actual motel rather than a family cabin. While it still held the rustic charm of the German countryside that the locals adored, the inn contained more individual rooms with lots of space, a small dining hall, and even a parlor. As the rooms were already paid for, each team member had their own single-bed rooms. Even though Tracer and Mei wouldn't have complained about sharing a room for another night, the other members couldn't deny feeling relief for having their own privacy. Satya especially.

Just as she did every night, the hard-light wielder retired early after dinner, making her way up to the second floor and through the hall until she reached her room. The only problem with their setup was that the whole team was stationed on the same floor, so that meant that they were close enough to still make her feel wary. Not to mention, the walls weren't soundproof at all. She found that out the hard way when she was nearly given a heart attack by one of Junkrat's explosives being set two doors down. Satya promptly locked her door securely and positioned a couple of specially moderated sentry turrets by the door. She would not take her chances. If anyone were to enter her room without her approval, the sentries were programmed to knock out their target. Finally feeling safe enough, she changed into her sleepwear before resting for the night. Her usual nightmare didn't appear this time, replaced instead by an old memory she had of her first days of training in hard-light technology with Sanjay.

 **A/N:** Okay everyone, thank you so much for your patience with me. I've been having a really rough few weeks and right now I'm still not the best. My Grandma is in the hospital now and looks like she's not going to make it, so I probably won't be updating for quite a bit yet again, but I hope this makes up for my time away. Please let me know how you think. I look forward to your reviews!

 **Edit:** I'm back from my hiatus if only for a moment. College has been keeping me extremely busy this whole semester. My grandma passed away, so I didn't have a whole lot of motivation. I'm thankful for all the wonderful reviews I've had so far. They've helped me a cheer up a little bit. With final exams coming up in the next couple of weeks, I'll be even busier, but I did want to make sure to leave a brand new chapter for you all. I also went back and revised some of the chapters, cleared a bunch of mistakes I didn't know I left. Nothing too major. Thank you all again for the reviews. Ciao!


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